Ep 192: Exploring Spain's Hidden Gems: Castilla y León with Beth Willard (Part 2)

Welcome back, wine friends! In this episode, we continue our fascinating conversation with the brilliant Beth Willard, a highly respected wine writer and co-chair Judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Beth's deep knowledge of Spanish wines, combined with her background as a former wine buyer for Laithwaites and her role in the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, makes her the perfect guide for our exploration of some of Spain's hidden wine gems. Join us as we journey through the lesser-known wine regions of Castilla y León, uncover indigenous grape varieties that deserve the spotlight, and hear some of Beth’s most humorous and adventurous stories from her travels through Spain’s vineyards. Whether you're a seasoned oenophile or new to the world of Spanish wines, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. 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:   02.16: Driving through Spain, car dramas and small villages 04.52: Interesting conversations with locals and travel advice for visiting Spanish wine regions 07.06: Castilla y León & the 13 DO’s, starting with Ribera del Duero & Rueda 09.18: Rueda (you can buy Beth’s report HERE) - Traditional wines aged in Tinaja, The Dorado Style and terroir 10.10: Arlanza, and it’s old vines Tempranillo 12.09: Heading towards the Portuguese border: Salamanca, Zamora, Arribes & their traditional reds 12.42: Sierra de Gredos and their fresh Garnacha 13.05: The Clarete of Cigales 14.36: Tempranillo in Cigales, Toro & Ribera del Duero 17.43: The Telling Room by Michael Paterniti - a must read about the worlds best cheese from Castilla y León 20.46: What exciting things are happening in the lesser known DOs 25.10: Rufete grape variety of Salamanca 27.28: Recommended indigenous grape varieties of note 30.17: Ossian Winery in Rueda and their old vines 30.30: Manade Winery: Organic and sustainable winemakers 32.42: Madrid’s wine bars and shops to visit 34.52: Tasting 600 wines of Spain for the Discover Spain report, co-writen by Beth and Tim Atkin 37.08: The 100 point wine of the Discover Report, an old vine Airén from Bodegas Cerrón 41.40: Next stage in Beths Journey continuing through Spain 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.