Ep 191: Exploring Spain’s Hidden Gems: Bierzo & Txakoli with Beth Willard (Part 1)

Welcome back, wine friends! We're kicking off Season 5 of the Eat Sleep Wine Repeat podcast with an exciting episode for all wine lovers and travelers. Join me as I sit down with Beth Willard, a true authority on Spanish wine and one of the co-chairs of the Decanter World Wine Awards. If you're a fan of Decanter Magazine, you'll recognize her work on Spanish wine regions. And today we focus on one of Spain’s slightly lesser know region of Bierzo. Beth takes us through the fascinating world of Mencía grapes, the terroir of Bierzo, and the latest trends shaping this vibrant wine region. But that’s not all—we’ll also dive into the delicious wines from San Sebastián, one of the best regions for foodies, where we discuss the Txakoli wines (often poured from a height). And a special thanks to Coravin, our sponsor for this episode, for giving wine enthusiasts the chance to explore wines one glass at a time without uncorking the entire bottle. Tune in for an inspiring chat, and don't forget to pour yourself something special! Cheers!   If you want to skip ahead: 03.00: The defining moment for Beths‘ wine adventures and her backstory 06.00: Beth’s first encounter with Spanish wine - San Sebastian 08.00: Must visit sherry bar in Madrid: La Venecia 10.30: Txakoli: What is it and how does it taste? 12.00: The three regions of Txakoli and the different styles 13.00: The annual coastline swim from Getaria to Zarautz 18.00: Hondarrabi Zuri - the grape variety of Txakoli 21.00  The Biezo wine region 25.30: Climatic Influences from Castilla y León V over the border in Galicia affecting the style of Mencia 26.30: The 2017 classification system in Bierzo, to highlight terroir 30.30: Producers to look out for: Alvaro Palacios, Raul Perez, Verónica Ortega, Gregory Perez, Banzao, Michelini i Mufatto 33.30: Mencia is not always 100% Mencia due to field blends/old vines 38.00: The Mencia Grape - profile, tasting notes 44.30: The agebility of Mencia and Godello 47.00: The white grapes of Bierzo 48.00: Beths’ Bierzo wine report published on Tim Atkin’s website Any thoughts or questions, do email me: [email protected] Or contact me on Instagram @eatsleep_winerepeat If you fancy watching some videos on my youtube channel: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat Or come say hi at www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk Until next time, Cheers to you!   ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST HAS BEEN FEATURED IN DECANTER MAGAZINE, RADIO TIMES AND FEED SPOT AS THE 6TH BEST UK WINE MAKING PODCAST.