Macabeo. Little known but a winner here.

Macabeo. Little known but a winner here.

Cariñena is one of Spain's most traditional wine-producing regions. Soil is poor with short bush vines on unirrigated land that barely receive any treatment due to the 7 months of “Cierzo” wind which constantly hit this region and where the grape ripens more slowly, allowing all its potential to be fullfilled.

The Macabeo grape has had a hard time getting itself known beyond the North of Spain. Macabeu and Maccabéo are other names for this grape also grown on the French side of the mountains. More of you will know it better as Viura, the main white grape in La Rioja.

Macabeo is the Spanish name though and I’ve got a 1997 Wine Encyclopaedia (American, by the way) in my hands and it makes no mention of the grape. Fast forward to 2012 and there is no mention in Oz Clarke’s Handbook.

Even in Hugh Johnson’s 2012 Pocket Book, it is included and described as “the workhorse white grape of Northern Spain” though, in fairness, he acknowledges its “Good quality potential”. Much of that potential has been realised in this bottle.

For more on this interesting variety check this article by Jancis Robinson: the Cinderella Grape

El Circo Macabeo 2012, Cariñena DO, 12.5%, €9.99 to €10.99, Stockists.

Colour is light gold with an aromatic nose. It is full of gorgeous white fruit but, don’t fear, the flavours don’t overwhelm and indeed the wine is really well balanced with a terrific finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Fontanario de Pegoes 2012, Palmela DO (Portugal), 12.5%, 10.99 to 11.99, stockists

Only the fairly serious wine students will know of the grapes used in this white. It is based mainly on the Fernao Pires variety with a touch of Arinto.

It is a strawy colour with tints of green. Nose is quite aromatic, summer fruits and traces of herbs. The young fruit has a pleasant and moderate input to the overall experience. The wine is light and refreshing, ideal on its own or with fish dishes and salads. Recommended.

Two Excellent Reds from Spain's Big Top

Two Excellent Reds from Spain

El Circo (The Circus)

Grandes Vinos  have launched a series of wines under the El Circo label, all from the Cariñena DO. Sampled two of the reds recently – they are imported by Wine Alliance – and I found the Tempranillo (one of my favourite grapes) and the Cabernet Sauvignon excellent, really good examples of the respective fruits. Both by the way are very well priced at between €9.99 and 10.99.

El Circo Tempranillo 2011, Spain, 13%, RRP €9.99 to10.99, Stockists

Dark plum and cherry on the nose and the colour is a dark red indeed. The same fruits show on the palate, the flavours smooth and delicious, and the finish is long and dry.

Picked from vineyards over forty years old, there is no mention of oak here but this is a very good example of the variety. Indeed, I reckon the young wine is on a par with quite a few Rioja crianzas.  The firm Grandes Vinos will already be familiar to many of you through their popular Beso de Vino range. Highly recommended.

El Circo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Spain, 13%, RRP €9.99 to 10.99, Stockists, 

Colour is a dark red with dark fruits on the nose. Forthright fruit flavours, plum and blackcurrant for me, but well balanced all the way to the longish dry finish. The assertive flavours (it has spent two months in oak) should mean this young fellow matches well with red meat dishes, particularly meats from the grill.

This is a really good example of Cabernet Sauvignon at a very good price indeed. Highly recommended.

Had to make an edit here as late yesterday afternoon El Circo had some good news on their facebook page: “El Circo Contorsionista has been awarded on the gold medal in Berliner Wein Trophy.”  Contorsionista is their circus nickname for the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Baigorri Crianza and Reserva

Baigorri Crianza and Reserva

Baigorri Tempranillo Crianza 2008, La Rioja, 14.5%, €11.40 in the bodega at Samaniego.
Baigorri Tempranillo Reserva 2006, La Rioja, 14.0%, €18.66 in the bodega at Samaniego.


Happy day: the 12th June 2012. That was the day I pulled into the winery of Baigorri, its glass cube rising above but not dominating the nearby medieval village of Samaniego in La Rioja, and left with some really lovely wines, including these two.

We rang the bell and Pilar met us at the door and let us in. We were too late for the tour but had a lovely chat with the young lady who had polished off her English on the Clash Road in Little Island (Cork).

I was amazed at the stunning winery, designed and built by the architect Inaki Aspiazu, creating an unmissable yet compatible landmark. The cube is just the top of a seven storey structure that carries on underneath the surface and means that virtually every movement of the wine making process owes much to gravity.

And the results in the bottles are brilliant too.

The Crianza

Colour is dark red and there are intense aromas of red fruits, regularly found with Tempranillo in this region.

But the palate is something else, above expectations. Full of fruit flavours but very rounded, quite sophisticated. A really well made wine with a persistent finish.

Probably the best value of the wines that I bought here and very highly recommended.

The Reserva

The Reserva is another excellent wine but is pretty expensive. If I were stuck for money and in the bodega again, I’d probably buy two Crianza rather than one Reserva!

There are good reasons for the big price difference. It has been a good deal longer in the process, including longer in oak. The grapes are picked from very old vines, manually selected and de-stalked before being fermented in French oak.

It is one hundred per cent Tempranillo whereas the Crianza is a blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 5% indigenous varieties.

The colour is a dark ruby red. The nose is rich with ripe fruit and hints of spice and leather. On the palate it is pleasant, warm and fruity, slightly spicy, with a supple texture drawn from the tannins and the oak, rounded and so well balanced with a persistent dry finish. Another in the very highly recommended category.

A twinning proposition: Timoleague and Samaniego

A twinning proposition: Timoleague and Samaniego

Timoleague (above) and Samaniego

Let us twin the ancient villages of Timoleague (West Cork) and Samaniego (La Rioja). Maybe I can’t pull that off but I sure can get Ummera and Baigorri together. Ummera is a famous state of the art smokehouse in Timoleague while Baigorri is a renowned state of the art winery in La Rioja.

Indeed, I have already brought them together, stumbling on a fantastic wine food pairing, as an unforeseen postscript when I recently opened a bottle of Baigorri Garnacha that I had purchased in Samaniego last summer.

Approaching the end of this bottle, I remembered that I had a few slices of the fantastic Ummera smoked duck to be finished off. Thought to myself that they might make a match.

For once, heaven agreed with me. Chewed a sliver of the duck and added a little wine. Eureka! The "chemistry"  revealed depths of smoky flavour, hitherto unsuspected. Amazingly, products from two ancient villages met on my palate and turned it into a flavour filled paradise.

Baigorri Garnacha, Rioja 2009, 14.5%, €19.54 at the winery in Haro.

Baigorri tend to experiment a bit and they even have a “garage” wine. This Garnacha has been influenced by the winemakers, a vin de l'auteur they call it. A well made wine for sure and highly recommended (very highly recommended if you add the smoked duck!) but a little pricey in comparison with their excellent Tempranillo Reserva.

Quite a dry introduction and then a bubbly rush of fruits. A flavoursome wine then with a stirring persistence. It has a rich red colour with calm fruity aromas, especially plum, plus hints of spice. Overall, the experience in the mouth echoes that of the bouquet.

Excellent Rioja Crianza

La Pinaleta Crianza, Rioja 2009 Limited Edition 23,500 bottles, 13.5%

The blend: Tempranillo 80%, Garnacha and Mazuela 20%.

The colour and nose (pretty intense) are typical of the modern Rioja style and the blend (above) gives a light, elegant and fruity wine. The attractive palate and persistent finish means it has that all important second glass appeal.

A few months before Christmas, Wine Alliance introduced some excellent new Spanish reds including: Las Pizarras Si O Sy Syrah and Yaso Tinto de Toro. This classy Crianza is from the same Osborne stalls. Perhaps, if we ask Wine Alliance nicely, the importers will add this one to the portfolio.

Very Highly Recommended. VHR

* Called to the fantastic Baigorri vineyard during a drive in La Rioja last summer and wasn't at all empty handed when I left, having been served by a lady who learned her English while staying on the Clash Road in Little Island. Am now engaged in sampling some of the fruits of that trip and will let you know in due course. Watch this space!

A Stellar Pair from Spain

A Stellar Pair from Spain

The weekend provided the opportunity to try out a pair of reds from Spain and it was time well spent with a stellar duo, each well priced. Both were really good, though the Sembro perhaps had the edge.

Las Pizarras Si O Sy Syrah 2010 Calatayud, 12.5%, (€10 to 12), Stockists 

The vineyard says tradition is respected but “our young team of winemakers are open to innovation and advances, in search of ways of raising qualities”. Reckon they got it spot-on with this warm and spicy 100 per cent Syrah.

Nose is complex, fairly intense, dark fruits, especially plum. Plum and cherry on the palate, it is full bodied, smooth and well balanced, moderately spicy with a good long finish. Good value and highly recommended.

Sembro Tempranillo 2011 Ribera Del Duero, 13.5% (€12 to 14) Stockists 

This is another of the three Osborne family wines recently imported by Wine Alliance. Osborne, well known for its sherries, have several estates in quality DOs in Spain and the philosophy is to ensure the wine “is a unique reflection of the personality of the vineyard”.

This very dark red has an intense mix of fruits on the nose. Fruits and some spice on the palate with a pretty smooth mouthfeel and then a good long flavoursome finish. This one has a lot going for it. Quite a personality and highly recommended.

Yaso! Just what the doctor ordered.

Yaso. Just what the doctor ordered!

Yaso is the name of the god of healing in Greek mythology. It is also the name of one of the well priced well bred new wines from Cork importer Wine Alliance. 

Well bred? Yes indeed, the vineyard is owned by the Osborne family. No, not the heavy metal tribe. I’m talking about a vine respectability here: the owners are the Osbornes of Jerez. The Tonto de Toro (Tempranillo) vines that provide the fruit are in 40 year old vineyards in the South Eastern province of Zamora and the wines spend 6 months in French oak.

Yaso Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo), 2010 Toro (Spain), 13.5%, €12.00 to €14.00 Stockists 

Cherry red is the colour and there is a fairly concentrated red fruit nose. On the palate it is smooth, fruity, with light spice and a good finish. On the wallet, it is light to medium. Highly recommended.

The other recent additions to the Wine Alliance portfolio include Las Pizarras Si O Sy Syrah 2010 Calatayud (€10 to 12); Sembro Tempranillo 2011 Ribera Del Duero (€12 to 14); and the white (also from Osborne) Oropendola Verdejo 2011 Rueda (€13 to 15). 

Read the Toro background here 

Two of the old Reserves

Two of the old Reserves

Marques de Riscal, Rioja Reserva 2006, 14%, €12.80, Venta Gora (Navarra).
Ninety per cent Tempranillo in this Cherry red Rioja. Dark fruits and spice, balsamic hints on the nose. On the palate, it is full and fruity, rich and rounded, super tasty with a persistent finish. A classic Rioja and highly recommended.

Remelluri, Rioja Reserva 2006, 13.5%, €13.32, Venta Mugica (Irabar).

The nose is your normal Rioja, fruity with a bit of spice. Some spice also on the palate and rounded fruit flavours, maybe too rounded I thought at first! Seemed to lack any distinctive characters but I had started it off too cool and, on warming up, we re-introduced ourselves, the characters came through and we got on well together. Subtle rather than in your face, it is tasty and smooth with a warm and persistent finish.

The grapes used are Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano. It has spent 17 months in oak, 70% French and 30% US. Unusually for Rioja, all Remelluri wines are made from estate grown grapes and this dark red is a good one. Highly recommended.

I bought these at Ventas on the Spanish side of the French border. Ventas are rather ugly concentrations of purpose built large shops selling everything from shoes to wines to petrol at prices cheaper than just across the road in France. Rioja wines are fairly widely available in Ireland. Try places like O’Brien’s, Superquin, Bradley’s Off Licence, Mitchel & Son. On the net, check via http://www.wine-searcher.com

A hilltop Venta

Delicious White Wines of Tondonia

Delicious White Wines of Tondonia

R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia, Viña Gravonia Crianza 2002, Rioja DO, 12.5%, €11.00 (at the vineyard bodega in Haro).

When I first noticed this Gravonia, 100 per cent Viura, on the shelf in Haro, I thought “this has to be a dessert wine”. I said as much but was quickly corrected: “All these whites are dry.”

So we had a taste and yes it is dry. The colour though is like rich honey and there are gorgeous floral blossoms on the nose. On the palate, there is a soft explosion of beautiful exotic flavours but, while rich, the aged wine is well crafted and well balanced, all leading to a very pleasing, lingering dry finish.
This is surely something different and very highly recommended.

Door to the tasting room!

Vineyard notes
Colour: Pale gold slightly evolved. Nose: Fresh and aromatic. Complex and developed. Bouquet with aromas of third generation. Taste: Fruity, complex, developed and fine.Issued Quantity: 29.000 bottles.

R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia, Viña Tondonia Reserva 1996 Rioja DO, 12.5% abv, €20.00 (at the vineyard bodega in Haro).

The nose is complex and the colour is even richer than the Gravonia, red/gold, like a good whiskey. I was told the extra richness in the colour comes from the ten per cent Malvasía used; the rest is Viura. Even though I had been told it was dry, I was still expecting something sweet. But, yes, it is really dry. It is also rich and elegant, shaping up like a good smooth sherry before finishing long and dry. Gorgeous. Very highly recommended.

It has spent six years in barrel and just 20,000 bottles were produced. They say it is perfect with all kinds of fish, with seafood and well seasoned white meat.

Vineyard notes: 1996 was officially a good year. There was a perfect balance in all parameters: colour flavour and taste. The white wines keep evolving in a fantastic way, showing elegance and finesse as per the best vintages.
For even more details, click here

I had been hoping to get some of their famous Viña Tondonia Rosé Gran Reserva, another aged wine, but there was none available and, because it is not made every year, none will be available for another year or two.

.

La Rioja: Faustino 1 and V

Faustino 1 and V

Faustino V, Rioja Reserva 2005, 13.5%, €13.32 Venta Mugica (Ibardin).

This is very smooth, dry, with a decent bit of spice, medium bodied, lingering finish. The bottle, as is usual, is frosted but comes without a net. Proposed pairings for this dark aromatic red include red meats, poultry with spicy sauces and mild cheeses. Fairly widely available here from, among others, Superquin and O’Brien's. Highly recommended.

Faustino 1, Rioja Gran Reserva 1999, 13.5%, €17.00 Venta Mugica (Ibardin).

This dark red, in the net, is a blend of Tempranillo (85%), Graciano (10) and Mazuelo (5). Nose is of red fruit with balsamic notes. It is very smooth and rounded, well balanced; no big rush on the palate but rather elegant all the way to the finish. Produced only in the very good years and this is a very recent release. There was also one in 1998 and it is unusual to get two in a row. Some top pundits reckon 1996 is the best. Very highly recommended

Nine Million Bottles!
Bodegas Faustino are one of La Rioja’s most famous producers and one of the biggest also, according to that excellent book, The Fine Wines of Rioja, who say they have a permanent stock of 9,000,000 bottles! They make quite a few wines, including Cava. The Gran Reserva, aged for a long time and released a decade or more after the harvest, is your classical Gran Rioja.

Txakoli, the Basque Wine

Missed!

4 weeks in the Basque Country

Txakoli, the Basque Wine

Way to do it!

Aitako Txakolina 2010, Getariako (Spain), 11.5%



Txakoli (or Chacolí in Spanish) is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol. It is the wine of the Basque Country (Euskadi) which has provinces on each side of the French-Spanish border on the Atlantic coast.

Getariko (Getaria) is a lovely coastal town between San Sebastian and Bilbao and centre of one of the major producing areas. The major grape used in this bottle is Hondarribi Zuri.

The wine, as far as I know, is not exported to Ireland but apparently has strong sales in the USA where Basque cuisine is highly regarded and where the lower alcohol levels are attractive.

This one is somewhat more advanced, more complex, than your ordinary Txakoli (meant to be poured and drunk quickly). The bubbles and acidity are there but the flavours don’t vanish after the initial pouring, though the “head” does.

Properly poured!

The Aitako vineyard say they have made a careful selection, have harvested at the optimum time and have fermented at low temperatures for a more intense aroma. The wine has also benefited from being raised on its own lees as this “gives volume, smoothness and balance in the mouth.”

While this bottle, bought in a wine shop in the main street in Getaria, a town I visited three times during a recent holiday, is undoubtedly the best I’ve tasted, I will happily say that I also enjoyed more modest efforts.

As a visitor, I was delighted to be able to try out this unfamiliar wine in the local restaurants – while it is produced in Spain, it is drunk on both sides of the border.

One of the unusual elements is that it is poured from a height, from about two feet above the glass, usually a sturdy tumbler, the intent being to increase the bubbles and release the flavours. It sure added to the novelty and the fun. Still does, especially if you try it yourself!

Like Tempranillo? You’ll love this

Like Tempranillo? You’ll love this.
Finca Museum, Crianza 2008, 100% Tinta Del Pais, Cigales (Spain), 13.5% abv, €15.35 (13.82 online) Karwig Wines

It’s quality all the way here. The fruits are hand harvested and then the best bunches are selected before it is aged in French and American oak. Tinta Del Pais, in case you don’t know, is another Spanish name for Tempranillo with which most of you are no doubt familiar. If you like the Temp, then you’ll love this.

It is quite a dark red with plum, cherry and subtle spice on the nose. It is fruity and juicy, no shyness here, and the palate will willingly take it all onboard. It arrives with a flourish and the lingering finish isn’t bad either. Similar in style to Rioja. Good value. Highly recommended.

Kissing Time Again

Kissing Time Again

Beso de Vino, Seleccion 2010, Cariñena (Spain), 13.5%, €9-11, stockists.

Many of you will be glad to hear that Beso de Vino have released the 2010 Seleccion, a delicious blend of 85% Syrah (15 year old vines) and 15% Garnacha (40 year old vines). Antonio, the little bull, has declared besos otra vez (Kissin’ time again).

And why not. The Beso de Vino bottles have been very popular since introduced by Wine Alliance a couple of years back and their Maurice O’Mahony reckons they just keep getting better.

Colour is red, bordering on black, while the nose speaks of Cherry and Blackberry. Flavour flows from the first sip; it is moderately spicy, soft and dry with a decent finish.

Besides it has a stunning quality/price ratio. It may not be a very complex wine but it is very good. Highly recommended.

For those of you not familiar with the Beso de Vino bottles (the words mean Kiss of Wine), you will have the pleasure of meeting Antonio, the small but perfectly formed cartoon bull on the labels. He is a friendly fellow, not adverse to a kiss himself. Now that last sentence is a bit of toro (tarbh)!

Spanish Wine Date for your Diary

Spanish Wine Date for your Diary

Justine Adams has been in touch with info on the upcoming Spanish Wine Fair in Dublin. "It has been a huge success in previous years and is the Autumn's biggest wine event. Over 200 professionals visited last time."

The Spanish Wine Fair in Ireland will celebrate its 9th edition on September 13th at the prestigious Shelbourne Hotel. Nineteen Irish importers will show the best from their Spanish portfolio. Fifteen Spanish wineries, new to the Irish Market, will showcase their wine.

In total, more than 240 wines from over 30 different Designations of Origin and Land Wines will be available to taste at this unique trade event. Professional visitors have the opportunity to enjoy some of the best Spanish wine available to the Irish market.

For the 5th year in a row the Christmas Stars competition will take place throughout the day. This year’s visitors will be treated to Cava wine - Spain’s famous sparkling wine. The guests will have the opportunity to vote on each Cava wine and choose their favourites. The winners will be promoted and highlighted over the Christmas period.

During the event, an exclusive tasting seminar on Cava Wines will be held. Coming specifically from Spain, Cava expert, Patrick Webb, has been commissioned to deliver this master class, Cava, the Sparkling Stars. 30 professionals will have the opportunity to attend and gain a deeper understanding of the peculiarities and essence of the different categories of Cava.

Date: Thursday, 13th of September 2012

Wines Fair (10.30 am – 17.00 pm)

Seminar (12.00 pm)

Christmas stars uncork (13.00 pm & 15.00 pm)

Place: The Shelbourne Hotel, 27 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2

To view all importers and wineries participating this year, please click here

For further information, please contact:
Izaskun Zurbitu
Marketing Director
Economic and Commercial Office
Spanish Embassy
Tel.: 01 661 63 13
e-mail: izurbitu@mcx.es

Ruby Red Stars of Northern Spain

Ruby Red Stars of Northern Spain
Three gems


For reviews of the white wines, please click here

Pittacum, Bierzo DO Spain, Mencía 2007, 14.5% abv, Importers: Classic Drinks.

This Pittacum, bottled in the spring of 2008, is the money-maker as some 180,000 bottles are filled. It is 100% Estate grown Mencía and is worth looking out for.

The fruit comes from 50 to 80 year old vines and it has a ruby red colour with a gorgeous aroma, plums and violets prominent. There is a hint of chocolate in among the velvety fruits on the palate and a terrific finish with vanilla showing. Highly recommended.

Click image to enlarge

Pittacum Aurea, Bierzo DO Spain, Mencía, 14% abv, Distributors: Classic Drinks.

This is even better, the fruit grown from very old vines in the heart of the DO. There is a complex intense nose, fruity and spicy. The flavours are lush: cherry, strawberry and plum.

It has spent at least 14 months in French oak, is silky and with a lengthy finish. You should really try and sample this special wine, which has limited production of just 15,000 bottles. Very highly recommended.

Quinta Sardonia, Castilla y Leon Spain, blend*, 15% abv, Distributors: Classic Drinks.


The very first sniff, and after that I tended to sniff before each sip, tells you there is a little magic in this bottle from Quinta Sardonia. The inviting aromas are both fruity and floral at the same time. Irresistible!

This is a concentrated and powerful wine, well rounded on the palate, where the fruits (cassis, cherry and plum) combine well and there are pepper notes and hints of vanilla from the sixteen months in oak.

This is undoubtedly one of the best ones I’ve tasted this year, beautifully integrated oak, tannins and acidity, with a full finish and a warm after-taste.

Beg or borrow or steal but do get your hands on one of those 44,000 bottles. Unlimited recommendation!

* Blend: 52% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.

More: QUINTA SARDONIA is a member of the TERRAS GAUDAGroup and producer of high-end wines based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture. 

The philosophy of this Ribera del Duero winery, set up under the guidance of Peter Sisseck, who was involved in the project design together with renowned French enologist Jerôme Bougnaud, is to develop unique wines that express all the richness of the terroir and that can be identified with the parcel where each variety is grown.


Just got an update on prices and locations for the reds and whites available here. 



Abadia San Campo RRP €18.99 -€19.99


Stockists


Caviar House, Dublin Airport


The Woodford Bar, Cork


The Mill wine Centre, Maynooth


Boqueria, Cork


Pinocchio Restaurant , Dublin 6





Terras Gauda O Rosal RRP €21.00 -€22.00


Stockists


Farmgate Restaurant, Midleton


The Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore


The Riverside Hotel, Killarney


Jacobs On the Mall, Cork





Pittacum Mencia RRP €17.99 - €18.99


Stockists


Ananda Restaurant, Dublin 15


The Merrion Hotel, Dublin 2


The Hotel Europe, Killarney


Kenmare Bay Hotel, Kenmare

Bye Bye France and Spain for 2012!

Bonne nuit à la belle France 2012. And Spain too! 

My Hendaye base: appartment & pool

La Rioja day trip

Rabbit, from the traiteur

Marina at Hendaye

Really enjoyed my four weeks in the Basque Country this year. I was based in the French border town of Hendaye and that gave me the opportunity to make many trips into Spain. Hendaye is a major rail junction and the local tourist office sells bus trips to Basque towns both in France and in Spain.

One of those bus trips, to San Sebastian, fell through because of a driver error. But the Tourist Office really stepped in quickly and got us to San Sebastian by train. The bus company (Le Basque Bondissant) moved quickly as well by refunding the fare and then gave us a choice of a trip from their catalogue.

We had previously been looking at the Bilbao one (which included admission to the Guggenheim) and that was agreed with Sandrine in their St Jean du Luz office. So well done to Sandrine and indeed to each and everyone we met at the Hendaye Tourist office. Thank you all.

I think that any tourist arriving in any French town should make straight for the tourist office. You’ll be surprised at the amount of information available.

If you have a family, you’ll probably want to locate the nearest hypermarket, but family or not, you should also make the Traiteur a target. The traiteur, often the butcher, offers delicious prepared dishes, sometimes local and national classics. All you have to do is take them “home” and re-heat. And you’ll end up with a top notch meal for about a third of the restaurant price.

The local market is another great source of food and indeed some of the traiteurs turn up there as well. Normally, your accommodation provider will give you a list of market days but, if not, head to that tourist office.

So there you have it, my three tips for happy holidays in France: Tourist Office, Traiteur, and local market. Of course a little bit of advance research and a few words of the language will also help!

Good accommodation also helps. For the past few years, we have researched our own gites or apartments. This time we stayed at an apartment within a large villa right in the middle of Hendaye-Plage, minutes from the beach, the beautiful bay, the marina and the little ferry crossing to Spain, yards from the bus stop (free buses around town), and a few minutes also from the big train station.

Newly built, the apartment was top class with a state of the art kitchen and a lovely shared pool. In all, there were five apartments in the building but no problems arose because of that. No problems at all.

Happy holidays!

Tips for driving Bordeaux – Roscoff.

Raspberry tart on board Pont Aven

Seagulls follow Roscoff trawler out to sea

Pont Aven

Home, sweet home!

Tips for driving Bordeaux – Roscoff. On Coming Home

Friday/Saturday 22/23 June 2012


Drove close to 900 kilometres up through France on Friday without a bother. The initial road from Hendaye to Bordeaux is mainly motorway and not the best you’ll come across in France. It probably will be better soon as there are improvements underway, some over huge stretches.

The autoroute from Bordeaux to Nantes is different class. Just a brilliant 130 kph ride, with magnificent facilities over its 300 kilometres. Having negotiated the efficient Bordeaux Rocade (ring road), I felt I deserved a stop and made one a few miles up the road at the smashing Aire de Saugon. Very good facilities here, including hot food, but then that is true of most of the motorway stops in this section.

Foodies should make a special note of the Aire du Vendee, closer to Nantes, as they sell some delicious concoctions of the area. Well worth a stop.

You should be well stocked with petrol as you wind your way around Nantes, which is just as well, as the motorway (no longer an autoroute) between here and Rennes is poorly served with Aires, with just one petrol stop just outside of Nantes.

Mostly there are just places where you can pull in and stretch your legs. There is one to avoid very close to Rennes, with a “Hil” in the title, as it has one of those toilets with the hole in the ground and water on the floor, built especially for the ladies!

Back in early 80s, there was hardly a Cork driver on tour who didn’t get lost in Nantes. Roads have improved hugely since then but there is still at least one slightly dodgy spot on the return journey. That comes on the péripherique (ring road) after exit 38 and before exit 37 (which is the one you want for Rennes). After exit 38, keep to your left.

It is motorway all the way from Rennes to Roscoff. Again, the level of services alongside are not great, so you should make a note of the excellent Aire d’Armor et d’Argoat, a few miles out of Rennes, and top up your petrol if you are running low. Of course, you can always go off piste to one of the local villages or towns, but sometimes you may be up against the clock.

Brittany Ferries have introduced a new facility and I’m sure parents will be very happy with it. While the Pont Aven doesn’t sail until 9.15pm you can now board at 6.30 and get those hungry kids a feed and a deserved drink for yourself!

I did get myself a drink, a rather timid Beaujolais Villages in one of those small bottles. The food though, particularly the main course, slices of juicy bacon, was excellent and reasonably priced in the self service La Belle Angel.

Service is really excellent on board the Pont Aven, lots of friendly staff willing and able to help you find your cabin or your way around the big ship. Great to sail back into the familiar harbour even if it was cloaked in the familiar grey! Nice to be home.

Night of Music in France

Music in the French Streets! Why not here?

June 21^st, Thursday
More pics here

We had a very agreeable surprise on our last night in France. While walking to local Chez Kake, we noticed quite a few stages set up and indeed by the time we reached the restaurant, music was already being played close by.

Checked and were told this is the French Fête de la Musique which has been going on since 1982 and which has spread to dozens of countries. Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets. Many free concerts are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public. More here

Guns leave their marks

There was a terrific buzz around the streets with adults and kids out checking the various bands. 

Irish gig in Hondaribbia

After an excellent meal, we checked out some nearby venues and, within less than 100 metres, found a terrific Cuban band, a band playing The Band’s music and another group doing songs by The Doors. Great stuff and not an ounce of trouble. Maybe we Irish could copy this one!

On one of our first days here, we had taken the short boat trip (€1.70) across the Bidasoa River to Hondarribia in Spain. Did the same on a low key last day as we wanted to see their unusual riverside airport.

That we did, and we also had a closer look at the luxurious Government parador in the town, to see the pock marks made by the cannon balls back in 16^th century when it was a chateau.

This is quite a lovely town and its Calle Mayor was used in the opening shots of the 1973 film Papillon (starring Steve McQueen).

Hockney at Bilbao's Guggenheim

Hockney at Bilbao's Guggenheim 

Tulips by Jeff Koons

The Puppy, by Jeff Koons.

 David Hockney: A Bigger Picture opened in Bilbao's Guggenheim last month and is scheduled to go on until September 30th. Some very impressive works here, some huge. Favourites would include Pearblossom Highway, the bright Yorkshire landscape series and the Grand Canyon works. There is so much of Hockney here, including video works, one would need to spend a week on this show alone. If you can't visit, the next best thing is to check it out on the museum's site.

The Guggen is featuring the work of important post WW2 artist Georg Baselitz who makes "whimsical nods to history" and uses a lot of name-dropping. All the paintings here, 16 large scale works in one room, are painted upside down. Okay for an occasional impact, say one or two at a time, but 16 together?

There is so much going on here, it is unreal. Found some rooms full of photographs. One thing that has disappointed me about the North of Spain is the amount of high rises here. Xavier Ribas highlighted them and the people who live there in his work while by contrast you have Cindy Sherman's lively portraits of younger Americans.

And so much more, including the large sculptural works of Richard Serra. Don't believe me? Just get on to that website and check it out. Fantastic.

And, of course, there is an Irish connection. The Spanish lady who sold us our tickets is married to a Dubliner and will holiday in East Cork this summer. Hope the weather improves for her, and for us.
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The Guggenheim (Bilbao) in Black & White