This book was a labour of love and a great excuse for Peter and me to spend time in one of our favourite parts of the world. It was hard work at times – especially when we found that the air-con wasn’t working in the car we had hired to take us from Bilbao to Barcelona in the sweltering heat of mid July – but we met some fabulous people, tasted some extraordinary wines and decided that one day we have to retire to a little cottage overlooking the sea in the north-east of Spain!

As the title suggests, this book is essentially a wine travel guide. It offers suggested routes to take around the various regions, the best people to visit, where to stay and what to eat. Things have, of course, changed a little in the years since it was written, and new producers have popped up here and there, but the routes are still great to drive and new discoveries along the way can only be a bonus.

This book won a Gourmand World Award in 2006.