Following our departure from Jávea on Friday, 28th February, we set off to Huerto Ribera, located in the hills above Carcaixent. Upon arrival, we were greeted by our guides, Ana & Teresa, who had organised coffee, tea and biscuits for us all.
After an introduction by Ana, the group divided into two and we set off on a guided walk through the beautiful gardens of Huerto Ribera, which surround a rather grand Art Nouveau house dating back to 1870. Our Bird Watching group leader, Nigel Bentley, spotted this lovely little blackcap drinking from the fountain.
As we walked through the orchards, we discovered the various varieties of citrus fruits being grown, with the opportunity to taste many enroute.
The machinery for sorting the fruit into different qualities was explained, before we were all given a bag and led to an orchard to pick our own, Steve finding an alternative use for his!
After the orchard tour we returned to the terrace where we had a glass of fresh orange juice, which was delicious, and a tasting session featuring homemade jams and marmalades (with lemon, orange, fig etc.) and orange blossom honey, whilst helping ourselves to samples of a variety of Valencian Liqueurs. Time to browse in the shop, to smell the various fragrances available, and to make purchases if desired.
Next came the immersive Vermouth Workshop, where we were told about the origin and history of authentic Valencian Vermouth, and given samples of 3 different varieties to try, before making our own – adding ingredients such as wormwood, gentian root, angelic, chamomile, vanilla bean, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marjoram, chamomile, coriander, juniper, hyssop, ginger, labdanum, orange peel etc., quantities according to preference and personal taste, before we topped the concoction with white wine. The jars were then capped and our instruction was to keep it in the fridge for a week, before filtering and, of course, drinking (but I have a strong feeling that we will all be sticking to the ready-made bottled version!).
After our entertaining visit to Huerto Ribera, we reboarded our coach and travelled to the small village of Potríes, for lunch at the Restaurant Molí Canyar, which is set on the ground floor of a beautifully restored 15th-century mill. The restaurant has rustic décor with fine wood and thick stone walls, arches, and historical elements that create a great dining experience. A selection of tapas to share, followed by a choice of main course and dessert, coffee, water and wine, all included. Everyone agreed that our lunch was excellent, along with the very efficient service from the waiting staff.
Thank you to everyone for making it such a fun day out, and to our photographers: Linda Grealy, Nigel Bentley, John Reynolds and Angela. PS I have a navy-blue cap that was left on the coach, so would the owner please email me so I can return it! Report written by the group leader, Angela Chantry: spanish.culture.cuisine@u3ajvea.com
