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: janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk

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!

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