A day of wine tasting near Vias

We recently went to Vias in the Languedoc region of France to visit my parents who own a place there. And my Dad took us for a morning of wine tasting. 

Me tasting some wines
at Domaine Saint
Hilaire

Dad had been to a wine tasting fayre in Agde the month before called "Vinocap" and had met several wine producers at the event and wanted us to see what we thought.

So we set off in the car and with the help of google maps, found our first Vineyard. The lovely thing about driving around this part of France is that, even when you're lost, the journey is an absolute delight. Beautiful green scenery, unspoiled coastlines and villages that are a snapshot of history.

The first stop was Domaine Saint Hilaire which is near Pezenas and Beziers.

Even though we hadn't made an appointment, we couldn't have been made

One of my fave wines

more welcome. Izabela took the time to go through all of the wines in the range and even tasted everything with us which made it seem such a more convivial experience.

We ended up buying several cases because everything was so delicious. Particular delights for me were there Voignier Vermentino which was very crisp and dry and perfectly suited to the amazingly hot day and would be great with spaghetti Vongole. We also bought several bottles of their Cabernet/Merlot blend which was called Silk - packed with soft tannins and cherry ripe fruit (I think this has been renamed to Le Baron now). And, of course, they had a fabulous Picpoul de Pinet since the vineyard is

technically within the designated appellation. 

Certainly not the cheapest end of the scale but this place is absolutely spectacular and the wines are top notch. As we were leaving, a group of very wealthy looking Americans arrived for lunch and I literally felt like we were on a movie set! 

I've noticed on their website that they also do tastings with Tapas and other similar packages so worth perhaps booking in advance as these have great reviews on Trip Advisor.

The next vineyard we stopped off at was closed. I guess that's the risk you run from arriving without booking. But, that was all of the fun from our perspective!

Outside beautiful
Saint Hilaire

So then we drove onto Domaine du Bosc. We didn't get quite such a warm welcome, but I think we might have interrupted their lunch (and the French love their lunch!). But the sign did say they were open all day and the lady warmed up as the tasting went on.

What was lovely about this place was all the artwork and the amazing gardens. The whole vineyard is on Volcanic soil which was previously under the water and apparently this gives the wines a unique flavour. But everywhere around the tasting room and gardens

are fossil relics and other beautiful, unique pieces of artwork.

We particularly enjoyed both of the rose wines we tried. But we especially enjoyed the Petit Verdot 2015 Le Rosé du Cap which was very fresh, crisp and would be perfect as an aperitif. We also tried some lovely reds and a really nice desert style wine which was like Christmas Pudding in a glass called Grande Réserve 2004 Le Bosc.

All in all, it was a great way to spend the morning, especially if you are staying

The Courtyard at Le Bosc

in Vias as both wineries were only within 20 minutes drive of Vias Plage. But while we were driving, we went past dozens of signs for tasting rooms and we tried lots of delicious wines while in the area so you really are spoilt for choice.

Thanks for organising it Dad! Time to start planning the next one!

Last time we stayed in the area, we visited Domaine de Virgile Joly in Saint Saturnin which you can read about here and The O'Connells near to Carcasonne which you can read about here.

Staying at the HPB Bena Vista property on the Costa del Sol

If you regularly follow my blog, you'll know that I'm a member of the HPB scheme which entitles me access to a property portfolio across Europe. And you'll also know I'm a massive fan. You can read more about the scheme here.

In my endeavours to stay at all the properties in the portfolio, I recently stayed at the HPB Bena Vista property which is in Estepona on the Costa Del Sol.

The view from the clubhouse

I chose this property simply because we were travelling in April and it promised to have the warmest weather out of all the properties in the scheme at that time of year. Plus, the flights to Malaga Airport were short and cheap and the transfer to the property from the airport was under an hour. And, since we were travelling with our two year old son, this was essential. 

The property we selected was a two bed, ground floor apartment with a private garden. And, as always, the place was absolutely immaculate. They'd set up a lovely, little cot in the second bedroom and both bedrooms had a private en suite. The garden was south facing and completely self enclosed so ideal for our son to play in. We even had a little coal BBQ- all perfect for a small family get away.

The entrance to the complex

We also loved the position of Bena Vista because it was situated close to bars and restaurants. Some of the properties we've stayed in have been fairly remote and required a drive to get to amenities. Whereas this place had bars, restaurants and supermarkets on its doorstep. 

In fact, right next door, there's a lovely bar called Restaurant Los Arcos which we ended up going to most days! The bar has a lovely enclosed outside area complete with children's play park, enabling us to sit having a drink, a meal and relax while our son played in a safe, enclosed area with both Spanish and English children. We ate there once and the food was pretty good too.

The playpark at Los Arcos

Bena Vista does have a beach which is literally 5 minutes walk away. But, to be honest, it's more of a stony crop on the edge of a building site! Considering the beautiful beaches on the Costa Del Sol, this is not somewhere you'd choose to hang out (unless you had an interest in watching Spanish builders at work!). However, there were numerous beaches within 10 minutes drive in Espepona, Puerta Benus and Marbella. I've written about my favourite beaches here.

The resort also had two swimming pools but they're not heated. So, in April, even with a wetsuit on, our son could not be coaxed in! 

All great, so what's the catch? Well, we had a lovely holiday and we were really lucky with the weather considering it was April. But there are a couple of things that might put you off.

Our lovely enclosed garden

Firstly, the road. Randomly, the whole Bena Vista resort is built on the edge of a pretty main road. And, when I say a main road, it's like the A3 or A34 in England. Busy day and night and only passable via the numerous footbridges dotted along it. Our apartment was several rows back from the road, but you could still hear it, even with the doors closed.

Secondly, I can't even talk about how many keys we had to grapple with in order to navigate around the complex. Now, I understand the need for security, but surely there has to be a solution that doesn't require a key for the front door, two keys for the back door, two keys for the other back door, a key for the side gate, one for the swimming pool, one for the laundry room, one for the Club House...the list goes on. In fact, because we were outside the main HPB complex, we couldn't even get into the main area because we didn't have the key. The whole system needs a complete overhaul.

Gorgeous swimming pool

Look, if you're looking for a remote, isolated and picturesque resort, I'll be honest, this place isn't going to be for you. Although the grounds of the complex are beautifully maintained like all the HPB properties, it is on the edge of a really main road. I'd recommend HPB La Gomera or HPB Almeria if you want peace, tranquillity and unspoiled views. 

However, if you want to be near amenities, to be able to walk to bars and restaurants and if you're travelling with children and need to be able to entertain them, this place is ideal. Although I loved HPB Lanzarote with it's nearby bars and restaurants, the property we had here was much nicer and the enclosed garden was ideal for a toddler. However, you didn't need to hire a car in Lanzarote.

All in all, we had a lovely stay there and we would definitely return. Another great property from HPB.