Friday had been a great day in Seville, fantastic Jamon Iberico, boquerones, bacalao in paprika, croquetas de camarones, cold cruzcampo….we were now Tapas aficionados. Tapas with a cold beer were great, but what would they be like coupled with a cold glass of Fino…..tomorrow we would find out on Roger’s Sherry Tour(Lustau winery and Lunch)
My brother and I had both seen Roger appear on a Rick Stein Seville episode and not only did he come across as an interesting guy, but was obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about good product. I don’t think we could visit Seville without meeting this guy - the tour was booked and we would be meeting Roger on Saturday morning.
The tour started the moment Roger picked us up at our hotel, he was just as enthusiastic as us and conversation flowed until we reached Lustau winery in Jarez. We entered the incredible cathedral like building that housed lines of Sherry Casks in infantry like formation, however this is where Roger gets to showcase the fantastic range of Lustau wines and his extensive knowledge of wines….all the way from the grape to the glass. Not only did we try the Sherries, but also the Vermouths (Red, Rose and White) and finally a Sherry Vinegar. Roger has a knack of animating the whole tasting experience and we couldn’t help but nod in agreement as he imparted his numerous years of experience.
Next, we was off to La Cruz Blanca - a smashing local restaurant in courtyard type setting. It was certainly a popular place and when the small plates of food started arriving, it was obvious to see why. Roger had ordered well, but when we had our first glass of chilled Fino with a plate of juicy clams the penny dropped!! Every dish seamed to make the Fino taste better, but then the Fino enhanced the food. Roger had certainly opened our eyes and it was ‘Dos Fino’ for the rest of our stay in Seville. In between the Winery and Restaurant we also walked round a local working fish market - a great place to wet the appetite.
Roger couldn’t have been a better host, entertaining, knowledgeable and a throughly likeable guy. If we could have stayed longer in Seville I would have certainly booked Roger for a Jamon/Olive Oil tour.
There’s no Question, Roger has good taste!!
