In the cellar at Le Lude.
The best travel discoveries are often unplanned and it seems the same often holds true of wine experiences. We discovered Le Lude wine farm in Franschoek by sheer luck. We had an interview lined up with Tim Hoek of Haute Cabrière and after professing our love of sparkling wine, he insisted we make a stop at Le Lude before we left the region. A quick call to his winemaker friend Paul Gerber and we were about to discover a little piece of France right in South Africa.
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A small sample of Rekondo’s amazing wine collection.
As wine and food enthusiasts, San Sebastián has long been on our travel bucket list. We recently had the opportunity to visit this notorious foodie mecca thanks to Iberian Wine Tours. Located in Spain’s Basque region, the coastal city is recognized worldwide for its incredible dining scene, boasting the most Michelin-rated restaurants per capita of any city in the world. But with a bevy of exquisite choices well beyond what our time would allow, how could we possibly choose just one? We opted to make sure we were also satisfying our inner wine geeks which made the decision easy—we simply had to visit Rekondo Restaurant.
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The stunning view at Haute Cabrière.
There really is a first for everything. We recently visited South Africa for the very first time and we are the first to admit that our experience with wines from the region was limited at best. Relatively speaking, few South African wines make it to Canada so our experience has been inconsistent in terms of quality. Our first visit to the region of Franschoek began with a stop at storied family winery Haute Cabrière. We were drawn to this particular winery because of its history and the fact that they are reputed to make top quality Pinot Noir and Sparkling Wine. We discovered not only does this winery’s reputation precede it, it’s a reputation that is well deserved.
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Erica Orr & Les Baer
August is Washington Wine Month and we think we kicked it off in grand style with a visit to Baer Winery. Baer definitely is one the stars that shines bright amongst what has grown to over 1,000 wineries in Washington State. Though they have remained small by intention, they have received numerous 90+ point scores by the mainstream wine reviewers including being named number #6 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 for their 95 point 2008 Ursa. We met up with Les Baer and winemaker Erica Orr at their Woodinville winery to hear their story.
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Txomin Etxaniz Winery.
In the heart of the coastal town of Getaria, not far from San Sebastián, you’ll find yourself in the middle of Spain’s most unusual wine region: the Denomination of Origin Getariako Txakolina. Txakoli (pronounced “chock-oh-lee”) wine is produced here and it is the pride of Basque Country. Slightly fizzy, it’s a dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content that is the perfect pairing to the area’s plentiful seafood. We paid a visit to the most renowned Txakoli producer, Txomin Etxaniz, with Iberian Wine Tours, to see firsthand how these wines are made and the history behind them.
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Roda Winery
In the historic town of Haro in Spain’s Rioja region, you will find the Railway Station District which is home to one of the biggest concentrations of high quality wine in the world. Heralded wineries Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia and La Rioja Alta are among several wineries within a 2km radius that have been making wine there for more than a century. Roda is the youngest winery in this district and while more modern in style and facilities in comparison to its traditional counterparts, it has already proven itself as a reputable producer that belongs among its distinguished neighbours.
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Vineyard views at Waterkloof.
We recently travelled to South Africa with G Adventures to experience the extraordinary beauty of that country. We found that some of the most stunning settings were in the Western Cape where high mountains rise next to the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Settled into those mountains are South Africa’s two best wine regions: Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
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Waterkloof Winery
As you wind up the long, scenic driveway at Waterkloof Wines in South Africa’s Stellenbosch region, the first thing you notice is the building sitting atop the ridge that houses its winery, tasting room, and restaurant. It is a stunning, architectural marvel that features a protruding glass cube to maximize the views of the vineyards and False Bay. And while the facilities are modern and the winery relatively new, it’s the deep connection to the earth surrounding this structure that is truly at the heart of this estate.
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