Rootz Wine Tours — Local services in Marbella

Last Thursday 22nd at the Age Concern Marbella-San Pedro Social Centre, Nicky Lloyd, owner of Rootz Wine Tours, held a Wine Tasting evening. Those of us who had signed up, were in for a real treat! Nicky had arranged the places very attractively, all had their own informative booklet and specific setting for each of the 5 wines to be tasted.

Nicky started off with an extremely informative explanation of the wine growing situation in the whole of the Malaga province which has a wealth of vineyards, varieties of grapes, and wineries, each under the official denomination of "Sierras de Málaga."

From the mountains of Ronda, over to Antequera and surroundings in the North-east, through to the Axarquia in the East, round to the Mountains just North of Malaga city and to Manilva on the West coast; a wide range of different types of wines are produced.

I must say, having lived in the province of Malaga for 50 years, I was amazed at how the wine industry has evolved over the past 30 years. When I came here, it was mainly the fortified wine "Malaga Virgen" and other sherries that were on offer here.

Nicky is a very knowledgeable professional and is an excellent communicator, who made the evening so enjoyable, (apart from the actual tasting, of course!). She explained about each of the different wines she had chosen to introduce us to. They consisted of one white, three reds - all very different, and one delicious fortified wine, similar to Port. It was so interesting to be able to identify, under some guidance, the different qualities of each wine.

After the actual tasting, we were presented with platters of cured meats and three different cheeses, also produced in the Province of Malaga, which, when accompanied by the wine, enhanced the flavours.

I would like to thank Nicky on behalf of Age Concern for her time and enthusiasm to educate the group who, like myself, enjoy drinking wine but now will be aware of so much more that is involved in producing wine for our...

The Rootz Wine Tours are absolutely superb.

During our recent trip to Marbella, we enjoyed two wine tours (i.e., Ronda and Antequera) with Nicky, the founder and owner of Rootz Wine Tours.

We went directly through their website to enquire about tour availability. Nicky was quick to respond offering a date for the Ronda tour along with information about how the day is planned. Once we had accepted the date, her accounts department sent us an invoice which we paid in advance. We gave Nicky the details of our accommodation and she explained that she would be in touch a day or two before to confirm our collection time. As promised, the day before our tour, we received an email not just confirming when we would be picked up, but also details of the weather and advice on the winding mountainous route in the event that we suffered from car sickness.

Both days Nicky arrived to our accommodation with military precision and the brightest and warmest smile. Along our routes, we learned all about the regions we were driving through - from the history of winemaking in the region to interesting local events and sites, as well as her background in the wine industry. Nicky provided us with useful maps and tourist information for both Ronda and Antequera for our free time in in the towns. And, as for the vineyards, each one that Nicky selected for the tours could not have been more different to the other. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for the product and region is absolutely infectious; and, the warmth and hospitality of our guides at the vineyards made our visits to each one special.

We had so much fun on both tours, we will definitely be booking again when we're next...

Just came back from a girls' day out wine tasting! Nicky picked us all up from our various locations and took us to visit two incredible and different vineyards in Ronda. One was very traditional and historical and the other was a beautiful family run vineyard that welcomed us with open arms. Despite loving a good glass of wine, the lengthy process from vine to bottle was new to me and Nicky took us through every step with clear explanations, teaching us even the most complex of techniques with simplicity. Talking us through each unique and delicious glass, we were left appreciating wine so much more - and there was a lot to try! I can not recommend this trip more highly. At the end of the day we left feeling ingratiated not only with the beautiful Spanish culture but we had been welcomed with open arms by each winery we visited. Definitely a 'must do' activity when...