A reel from Rioja
Author: Will Heslop
Photograph: Jason Lowe
While on holiday in the region, Wine Buyer Will Heslop dropped in to Haro to visit the famous Bodegas R. López de Heredia, one of the most traditional and respected Rioja producers. Here his evocative description of their extraordinary cellars is paired with Jason Lowe’s images.
It’s difficult to remain business-like on a visit to the bodega of R. López de Heredia in Haro’s Barrio de la Estación. So warm is the welcome; so comforting the aura of perfectionism; so stimulating the sights, let alone the aromas and taste of the bodega’s wines, memorable in any context but unforgettable here.
Then there’s the roar of the furnace in the cooperage and the feel of the furry, black matter – home to an array of benevolent microbes – that coats every inch of the labyrinthine cellar. A true feast for the senses, which Jason’s photographs portray far more eloquently than my words.
Photographs: Jason Lowe
