Author: Chris

Porta de Piedade Lagos.

The town of Lagos in the western Algarve is 60Km from Faro with a drive of a little over an hour. It is also possible to reach Lagos by train from Faro with a journey time of 90 minutes. Lagos is a pleasant town with an active, modern marina. The highlight of any visit to Lagos has got to be the Porta de Piedade, a headland of limestone cliffs just to the west of the town.

It is possible to access the headland on foot and there are several sets of steps to reach the beaches of Praia de Camilo and Praia Dona Ana. However by far the best way to view the cliffs and rock formations is by boat. There are plenty of tour options from Lagos marina costing around 20 Euros for a 75 minute cruise. Generally the boats used are small, carrying around 8 passengers, enabling them to get close up, through arches and into some of the caves.

The colours of the limestone are incredible, yellow to gold to red to browns. The layers erode at different rates creating shadows and crazy shapes, some of which have been given names by the local guides.

The constant battering of the ocean has created pillars, arches and caves. it is a coastline in constant change. It can be stunning and dramatic especially on a clear, sunny day which can make the colours almost glow. It can also be bleak, especially on a cloudy and windy day and as you round the headland conditions can change as you move from shelter into the breeze.

You can get so close you can almost reach out and touch the rocks such is the skill of the guide and the manoeuvrability of the boat. It is well worth doing as part of visit to Lagos and out of the main holiday season its relatively quiet and you can almost have the boat to yourselves.

5 Reasons to Visit The Algarve in March

I have just returned from a fantastic week in The Algarve on Portugal’s southern coast. There is much to admire about this region, even in early March, and it makes an excellent location for a late winter break. Faro, in the central region, is the main gateway for air travellers and is well served by low cost airlines. Flight time from the UK is around 2-3 hours depending on the exact point of departure. Here are five reasons why I think you might want to consider a visit at this time of year.

It’s relatively quiet. The population of The Algarve can triple in the summer months of July and August when thousands head down to enjoy the beaches and hot sun. By comparison the winter months are much quieter with March being the last month that you can take this for granted. From April and Easter it starts to get much busier.

The weather is pleasant. The Algarve has 300 sunshine days a year with an average summer temperature on the coast of 25 celsius, it can get much hotter inland. In March the average is a very pleasant 15 degrees. There is a greater chance of cloud and rain but you would be very unlucky if it affected everyday of your stay. During our stay we had two cloudy days, one with a little light rain, and the rest were sunny and warm reaching a high of 19 degrees. It sure beats sitting at home in the cold and wet.

Flights and accommodation are relatively cheap. Not only is it cheap to get here with plenty of options using low cost airlines but there are also some good deals to be had in hotels and rental accommodation. This makes short break in The Algarve a very attractive prospect.

Restaurants and cafés are not so busy. At this time of year year you can have your choice of restaurant without having to make a reservation days in advance. Having said that the popular ones do tend to get busy by 7.30/8pm. For me one of the main reasons for visiting Portugal is eating out in the excellent fish restaurants that you can find here and in early March you haver the pick of the best.

It’s beautiful. Make no mistake The Algarve is beautiful at any time of year, white sandy beaches, clear blue ocean and a landscape inland that is undulating and covered with a vast array of different trees and shrubs. What is different here to March at home in the UK is the colour. Not only is the landscape greener because of the evergreens but is is also splashed with colour. Oranges are still ripening on trees, almond blossom covers trees with a touch of white and there are many wild flowers in bloom.

Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux

I was at a recent Wine Society tasting of the wines of the Rhone valley when I came across the wines of Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux. I enjoyed the wines very much and loved the passion and philosophy behind the wine making that I thought I’d write a short post.

Clos des Cazaux is a family run domaine in Vacqueyras in the Southern Rhone. Established by Gabriel Archimbaud and first planted with vines in the nineteenth century it is run to day by Jean Michel and Frederic Vache. The estate now measures 48 hectares, with 25 in the Vacqueyras appellation. Annual production is around 1300,000 bottles.

Grape varieties are as you would expect for the southern Rhone. For the red wines it is principally Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre. For whites it is primarily old vine Clairette along with some Rousanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier.

Everything here is done with respect to the land and environment. Biodiversity is encouraged by retaining hedges and trees around the property. Soil health is important and respected using natural composts and products to encourage the development of a healthy microflora in the soil. In the vineyard there is no mechanisation, everything is done by hand including all harvesting. In the winery fermentation is temperature controlled and uses only wild, indigenous yeasts.Maturation is in stainless steel or concrete for at least 18 months. This allows the wines to undergo natural clarification thus eliminating the need for fining and resulting in only a light filtration. Oak ageing for between 12 and 30 months is used only for those wines judged to be capable of the greatest ageing.

Take a look at their website, it gives a good, detailed explanation of their philosophy and wines. There are also some wonderful photographs which make you just want to visit and see the place for yourself.

Les Clefs d’Or. Vacqueyras Blanc. 2016. You don’t tend to see a lot of white Vacqueyras around but at Domaine Le Clos de Cazaux it is a really important part of their portfolio thanks to some old Cairette vines. Made from 70% Clairette and 30% Rousanne with no malolactic fermentation. This wine has a lovely floral, citrus nose and is nicely balanced with a good finish. very nice.

Vieilles Vignes. Vacqueyras Blanc 2016 (Magnum). 50% Clairette, 30% Rousanne and 20% Grenache Blanc. This wine has lovely texture and balance with lemon citrus and a toasty nuttiness. Reminds me of good white Burgundy. An excellent glass of wine.

Wine Society’s Exhibition Vacqueyras. 2016. This has bags of plums and cherry fruit with lots of peppery spice. Excellent value.

Saint Roch. Vacqueyras. 2013. 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. This is super drinkable Vacqueyras. Soft, round juicy with a touch of savoury pepper.

Grenat Noble. Vacqueyras. 2015. Spicey, peppery black fruit and plum with a lovely freshness and intensity. Drinking really well. Very good.