The gourmet tour of this winery estate was such a great experience. It's located in the southern part of Penedès in Catalonia. I'd say a little less than 3 miles from the shoreline. We could see it off in the distance from the property. Apparently, the salt air, cool breeze, and limestone soil creates a microclimate that adds to (or enhances) certain grape ripening characteristics. This is especially good for cava making, as we learned the last time we visited the upper part of this region. What we didn't know was how it affected wine and vinegar. We were about to find out.
We were greeted by Marco who gave us a very extensive tour of their wine making facilities. We learned so much from this. What made it even more interesting was the wine vinegar tasting part of it. I know most people are familiar with the old expression about turning wine to vinegar. But, it's really not that simple. We entered the oak barrel lined building where the aging process was taking place. This is where we sampled 4 different types of balsamic made from their chardonnay, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon wines. He also treated us to a sample of the 30 year Antigues Reserves which was my absolute favorite of the 4. It's definitely one to be put away for very special occasions due to its price tag. I later found out that many famous chefs use this brand for cooking. I can totally see why.
So, I was even more blown away during our wine tasting and lunch experience. The restaurant is on-site in the middle of one of their vineyards. There's indoor and outdoor seating. As a group, we were seated at a large table indoors. I won't go into any more detail. I'll just say that we loved every single dish, as well as the great service. I was also quite surprised to find a Chardonnay that I actually love. I don't know. Maybe it really does have something to do with the type of barrel. Their wines are fermented in oak barrels from the Nevers region of France. I know I'll be looking for this in the future when shopping for wine.
My only regret is that I didn't purchase anything that day. It's not readily available in the states. However, I did find the vinegar set online at a sustainable gourmet shop in Tacoma. I've been enjoying it as a vinaigrette, and will eventually use some of the online Avgvstvs Forvm recipes as a reference.
There's so much I want to say. Why is it named after the Via Augusta? What happened to the vineyards in Europe during the Great French Wine Blight? You'll just have to read all about it (or take the tour). It was a beautiful and memorable day!! read more