P's Birthday in the Vineyards

High: 31.1 °C

It was Pete’s birthday, which we celebrated with a visit to Abadía Retuerta. The drive through the vineyards was breathtaking, the monastery sitting in the middle of rows of vines and golden fields. Founded in the 12th century and originally run by the Premonstratensian Order, the abbey has been restored into a luxury hotel and spa, with much of the original Romanesque-Gothic structure retained. The cloisters still feel very calm and quietly impressive. Inside the working winery, we toured the barrel room and learnt more about the wine-making process before tasting a selection of Tempranillo wines. I raved about the Tempranillo and decided to splurge on a bottle – likely the most expensive wine I’ve ever bought. In the evening we celebrated at Vinotinto (the meat and octopus dishes were excellent) and rounded off the evening in La Sastrería, a sewing-themed cocktail bar hidden in an arcade.