Amber and Eric Hoffman are food and travel bloggers known as “WithHusbandInTow“, who I’ve enjoyed interacting with on twitter. Once they shared they were coming to Costa Brava for the TBEX conference, we talked about getting together and meeting up in person. They asked if I could give them a tour of a few of my favourite Emporda wineries, and maybe a few of the hidden gems in Emporda; I couldn’t refuse.
Sherry Ott, known as @ottsworld on twitter, joined in on the tour. We focused on the alt Emporda region of DO Emporda, close to the French border to tour Terra Remota, lunch at Cooperativa Garriguella, tour Cooperativa Garriguella, and finish in the seaside fishing village of Llança to meet local artist Carles Bros.
I’ve been touring Catalan vineyards for almost a year, and it was great to see the experience through the eyes of the quartet. It was a great reminder of what drew me to the region, and compelled me to share Catalan wine stories.
As Amber remarks in the video above, she was overwhelmed by the passion and the hospitality of both vineyards, as they took several hours each to share their wines, their process, and their love for what they do. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how lucky I am to live in the region full time.
Hearing the story of Carles Bros and one of the world’s largest murals (located in the harbour of Llança) first hand from the artist himself, was also a great experience, as it’s rare to see an artist of his stature sitting in his gallery and talking to anyone who happens to stroll in. Carles invited us out for a drink, but after a day of tasting, plus a warm day at that, meant we had to take a rain check for another time.
I met up with Amber and Eric at Arrels del Vi a few days after our tour to talk about their impressions of the region, what surprised them, what they loved, and what people can expect when they come visit for the first time. Both were still overwhelmed by the hospitality and the “open arms” of everyone they have met so far on their journey.
In the end, it would seem the wine region of Emporda gained four more disciples to share the gospel of great grapes from a region steeped in over two thousand years of wine history.