Category Archives: wine

bodega dehesa del zarco

19 Thursday Mar 2026

Posted by in bitesize sevilla, gastro guias, sevilla, wine

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I first wrote about Bodega Dehesa del Zarco last year on Bitesize Sevilla as part of a report on the Wines of Sevilla. I will also be writing a follow-up article there detailing today’s visit but for now, here’s a little preview of my visit with a few members of the Andalucía Gastro Guías.

This small organic winery and vineyard is the dream-come-true passion project of Diego Moreno and his son Juan Diego (Juandi), who strove to revive the winemaking traditions in Pilas, about 30 kms west of Sevilla. At present it is the only remaining vineyard in the municipality. Not only have they (slowly and diligently) succeeded but they have also recovered more than the vineyard. They also grow kamut wheat, oats, and rye in alternating rows and have been instrumental in reintroducing the Marismeña sheep, an endangered breed, to the area.

Juandi met us at the winery, which is also his home, and took us on a personalised visit which included a visit to the vineyard and to see their sheep before heading to the bodega. There we got to see the bottling and labelling process and also – as a special treat – taste the 2025 vintage from the barrels, which won’t be ready to bottle for a few more months. Then it was off to the tasting room and we enjoyed a selection of local cheeses and charcuterie with three of the Zarco wines: white, rosé and red. It truly was a fabulous visit and so stay tuned for a more detailed account of the winery, the wines, and the family, coming soon on Bitesize.

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new sherry class!

13 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in sevilla, sherry, spain, tapas, tapas bars, tapas tours, wine

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This past week I redesigned my Sherry & Tapas Experience because I realised, if I offer it to larger groups only (6-10 people) and keep it down to two stops, as I have been doing with Katie’s Bowland & Bay groups, then I can just about manage it. It’s still a long painful hobble getting to the first bar, but a short distance to the second one, and from there I can grab a taxi right out front to get home.

Today seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out with the slightly smaller group option (6 people) as Pam & Gilbert were in town (again!) with friends and wanted me to give them a little sherry education. So I booked Las Teresas and showed up a bit early, as usual, to help get things set up and… omg. Instead of the usual dining area next to the bar, which is lovely enough, I was directed to the family’s private dining room across the street and saw this amazing table already set up for me. Honestly it felt like Christmas. I felt so happy and honoured that they did this for me. And it really made a difference as this is the longest part of the experience, trying four wines over two courses (starters and mains) before heading for desserts and sweet wines at Vineria San Telmo. In this smaller more private space (the owner and a friend came in for lunch, and there was one other table of family friends, but that was it) is not only much quieter but it really does feel like an extra special experience.

So now I will keep my other Sherry & Tapas Tasting at Casa Morales open for 2-4 people, and for groups of 6 or more I can offer this option with two stops. I am SO excited about this, though I realise that larger groups interested in sherry are a bit niche. Still, it’s out there now. Sooooo grateful for all the bars who help me out with this. I (obviously!) couldn’t do it without them.

 

cava wine wednesday

03 Wednesday Dec 2025

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It was a very special Wine Wednesday with a cava tasting at Delatierra Vinoteca with wines from Bodega L’Origan presented by founder Carlos Martínez. Ranging from light, fresh “drinkable” wines to more complex “toasty” ones it was proof once again that not only is there a cava for everyone, but also that it pairs with pretty much everything. Really good time, thanks Hiniesta & Carlos!

🥂 Aire Brut Nature
🥂 Aire Rosé Brut Nature
🥂 L’O Brut Nature Edición 2
🥂 L’O Rosé Brut Nature Edición 5

clausura del año de los vinos de sevilla

02 Tuesday Dec 2025

Posted by in academia sevillana gastronomy turismo, sevilla, wine

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Every year the Academia Sevilla de Gastronomía chooses a local product to feature and 2025 has been the Año de los Vinos de Sevilla. The closing ceremony for the year was today and it was held at the Cruzcampo Foundation. What used to be an easy half-hour trip on the 27 bus is now an hour-long trek with the bus stop twice as far from home. As it was raining I had to wait for it to let up because I can’t use an umbrella with the crutches so I arrived almost an hour late. But although I missed a large portion of the presentation I was well on time for the reception that followed. As usual it was great to meet up with everyone, something I haven’t been able to do as much lately.

I was thrilled to become a member of the Academia in 2023 and have enjoyed participating in the various events and activities held throughout each year. But being on crutches has limited my ability to join in, with some visits requiring a lot of walking or standing, and others that we are required to pay for, like special dinners which, on top of the annual fee, are just not possible for me anymore. Because I’m also not able to work. So very sadly I think I will have to (I hope temporarily) resign from the Academia until I am able to participate fully again.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, here’s an article I wrote in honour of the Año de los Vinos de Sevilla, all about The Wines of Sevilla. Cheers! 🍷

bodegas góngora

14 Tuesday Oct 2025

Posted by in andalucia, gastro guias, sevilla, wine

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Bodegas Góngora is the second oldest active winery in Spain (the oldest in Andalucía), founded in 1682 and located about 17 kms outside Sevilla in Villanueva del Ariscal. In 2020 the winery was bought by the Howden group, though seventh generation Ignacio Gallego Góngora remains involved in the project as technical director. The bodega has recently pulled out all the stops with a more than 12 million euro transformation including a wine museum, a boutique hotel and an event space, aiming to become one of the most innovative Sevilla bodegas in terms of wine marketing and luxury wine tourism.

Guided visits began this month and today the Gastro Guías were invited on a private tour hosted by Ignacio Góngora himself. This was a real treat for us because Ignacio was not only a wonderful storyteller, but sharing his own personal family experiences and obvious passion really made it an extra special visit. After being told we would probably be there just over an hour, we didn’t leave until more than three hours after arriving.

The winery continues to produce three categories of wines: white, aromatised and a classic (fortified) range. During our visit we tasted five of the classic line: fino, amontillado, palo cortado, oloroso and pedro ximénez. At the moment there are four types of visits to choose from. The hotel is projected to open in March 2026, along with a “showcooking” restaurant that will be available for private events.