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Being a travel blogger means I visit various destinations every year. From jetting off to Dubai at the beginning of the year to swanning around the Tuscan vineyards by summer. There is no real plan when it comes to my travels, but that is what’s exciting – the uncertainty, adventures, memories and pure freedom!
I’ve had many breathtaking moments across my travels. From admiring mother nature’s work, while overlooking the Niagara Falls in Toronto, getting up close and personal with lions in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, or standing at the top of the Dolomites as the sun descending overhead with vibrant colours bursting through the sky. Those are all moments you cannot forget, but when you’re going about your life, you tend to temporarily disregard them until something triggers some nostalgia.
A lot of my triggers are sensory, through smell, taste and vision. Mainly through various food and drink consumed during my travels (read: many glasses of divine wine and too much cheese).
When I was recently sent over various wines made by small, local producers, sold and distributed by Naked Wines, I found myself getting sentimental over my past travels through their wines.
Naked Wines supports small independent winemakers through its monthly subscription service. You, as subscribers, also known as “angels”, invest £20 a month into your account which you use to crowdfund new winemakers. In exchange, you get access to big discounts and can enjoy a selection of wines knowing you have made a genuine difference. You get to enjoy a variety of authentic wines, made by passionate winemakers that have a desire to share a piece of their country with the world. The kind of wines you only get to try by visiting different countries directly, rather than going into a supermarket and picking a bottle off the shelf.
One of my guilty pleasures is spending a Friday evening at home, with a bottle of quality wine and the accompaniment of almost replicable nibbles from my travels. Almost tricking my brain into thinking I’m sitting on a deckchair, in the sun, drinking wine in South Africa instead of being at home. I’m always longing to be somewhere else — I was a born traveller!
The Vivolo Di Sasso Pinot Grigio took me back to Cortina, Italy. The grapes come from the Veneto region, which spans across from the Dolomites, right down through to Venice. The same fresh, apple and pear tasting notes took me back to when I was drinking wine in my ski jacket out on the balcony of our hotel, overlooking the sheer snow-capped mountains. Absolute bliss.
I’m a huge fan of Sauvignon Blanc, and the mouth-watering tropical fruits and lime tanginess of the Gayrel Sauvignon Blanc took me back to balmy alfresco dinners in Madrid, with fresh vegetarian paella. Ah, the memories.
Winter is my favourite season to drink red wine. The oakiness of the Garnacha wine took me back to the days sitting by the log fire in the New Forest countryside; sipping red wine and keeping warm under blankets while roasting marshmallows until they went soft and gooey.
It is amazing what the tasting notes of various different wines can do. Bringing back golden memories of some of my favourite travels and allowing me to relive them in the comfort of my home, like a sensory diary.
What wines remind you of your favourite travels?
You can also get £60 off your next Naked Wines order, click here to redeem.
Until next time…
