Farsighted Fly Girl

Surrounded by a pine forest and the Duero River, Finca Villacreces winery offers a bucolic vision of traditional Spanish winemaking. Founded in the 13th century by Franciscan monks, I explored the estates 171 acres of vineyards that supply Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.  As the region’s biggest organic winery, Villacreces doesn’t use sulfates and it employs butterflies, ladybugs and birds to eat insects instead of insecticides. The grapes are harvested by hand to preserve the quality. Strolling and biking through the sandy and rocky terrain, I learned about the fermentation process that produces the wineries signature Pruno wine, a  deep burgundy, fruity wine created with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  I sipped Pruno at the elegant picnic that was laid out for a scenic wine tasting among the twisting vines. Gourmet cheeses, charcuterie and regional dishes blended with the wines to create savory flavors. A visit to t...

Fall represents harvest time in many countries. I'm thrilled to return to Spain  this week to witness the famous grape harvests of Rueda and Ribera Del Duero.   I will be hosted by the Tourism Office of Spain and I'll be exploring the provinces of Burgos and Valladolid and the region of Castile-Leon. My itinerary features vineyards, castles and lots of restaurants! Spanish wine country holds a lot of history and cultural traditions that I will be  highlighting so please look out for posts and lots of wine pix!

Next week, I'm off to the orchards and vineyards of the "Garden of Quebec," as Monteregie is called. Located just southeast of Montreal and filled with natural and gourmet delights, Montergerie is noted for wine, ice cider and tantalizing regional restaurants. My media tour includes visits to five vineyards, three cidreries, one chocolatier and one cheese maker so expect lots of dish sampling, cider sipping and wine tasting posts.  I'm also excited about biking along the St. Lawrence River, visiting a butterfly orchard and learning about the region's 18th century history. So stayed tuned for my exploration of Quebecois culinary culture.