Spain and the Wine Road

Longing...Yearning...I Miss You...in Portuguese.  "The famous saudade of the Portuguese is a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning towards the past or towards the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness". A.F.G. Bell
This sounds way heavier then It should for a Monday but yesterday I was organizing my photos on my computer.  I think I have 3000 shots still on my hard drive.  I have backed them up 5 times but can not seem to hit delete! None of this has anything to do with Portugal.  In my past life I spent many years in the wine industry.  I usually don't miss a bit of it!  I still drink wine and eat well. While finally cleaning up my photos I came across my last wine trip that I took across Spain with my good friend and wine importer extraordinaire Steve Miles that gave me the feeling of dreamy wistfulness.

Old Vines

Gathering for a feast in NW Spain on the river bank drinking Albarino.

Our main course! Not your everyday Octopus on US menus. Amazing, I think this may have been breakfast?

This crazy Frankensteinish wine tasting lab in Rioja. Me hard at work.

OMG..Amazing Jamon, after the hard work of tasting wine all day.

Fast forward to Eastern Spain in the Penedes region..Oysters, Cava, and hammocks.

Last leg of our trip, Cheers.