Toni Carver's Trip to Spain - Part 1

Pre-Trip
Imagine you’re at work one day and approached by the GM who wants to talk to you in the office. Are your first thoughts…..What project is happening now? What did I forget to do? Well at Joe Canals there is a chance the GM will be telling you “We don’t think you know enough about wine, particularly Spanish wine, so we are sending you to Spain to learn.” My reaction: surprise and excitement. I get to spend a week in Spain, expenses covered, drinking wine, meeting winemakers, learning firsthand about the terrior and styles of viticulture, tasting exquisite food and experiencing a new culture. The downside….hmmm, I may have to get back to you on that one.

Day 1
After several weeks of anticipation the day is finally here. We arrived in Barcelona with no time to explore the city; we get our rental car and proceed to our first appointment at Bodegas Abadal. The hour drive to the vineyard is beautiful, conversation and anticipation is flowing among our group of eight from all over the East Coast. We are greeted by the vineyard president and family patriarch Valentí Roqueta and his son for a personal tour of the original family home, now used for a museum, which dates back to 1199. The scenery is tranquil, secluded, and peaceful and makes you feel as if you stepped back in time, surrounded by mountains, listening to the birds and looking over the beautiful vineyards. We drive through the vineyards to see the differences in the vines; some are gnarly and visibly older while others are new plantings that won’t be ready for several years to produce grapes suitable for wine. We explore the huts scattered throughout the vineyards, some are centuries old, that were used as “sheds” and shelters for the farmers while working the fields in yester years. We return to the tasting room for a delicious lunch of assorted tapas, olives, sausages, and of course wine!! My favorite here is the Abadal Caberrnet Franc /Tempranillo blend with its depth and toffee and dark red fruit profile.

After thanking our gracious hosts we proceeded to our hotel for some much needed rest. Hotel Mon is a modern building looking out onto a lush courtyard with a view of a medieval monastery. The bells tolling on the hour, resting with a good book on my patio, listening to the bees buzzing from flower to flower, is a pleasant way to wind down before dinner.