Everytime I get the chance to go off on some wine travels, I try and grab it with both hands. It’s not just that the weather is invariably better in, say, the South West of France than in London, or that the wine and food is fantastic. I’m also a complete tourist when it comes to the scenery and the architecture, it’s just absolutely amazing round those places!
One of the great things for the area of Bordeaux is the money that floods in through the wine industry. Either rich old families, or more recently rich corporates, have had the cash to do up all the old Châteaux. No matter what people think of the way the business is going, that’s one upside that we can all be happy with! (Above is Châteaux Pichon Baron, now owned by the négotiant AXA Millesime)
There’s stunning natural beauty spots, like the rolling hills of Piemonte in Italy, or the harsh but breathtaking landscape of Priorat in Catalunya. Everytime I look at them I think they must have just been put there. Like backgrounds in old Hollywood movies. They somehow don’t look real, just too perfect.
Places that are actually still on my list to spend a concerted amount of time are the Valleys of the Loire in France and the Douro in Portugal. I’ve heard the Loire is chock full of this kind of stuff, and the Douro is one of the most incredible naturals beauties out there.
Anyone fancy coming with?
Cheers
Mike
