Tour review: Casa Marín
September 8, 2015
Casa Marín is a small, family winery which produces some outstanding wines. I liked the personalized feel of the tour and the opportunity to ask questions about the grape-growing process in particular. I was a little disappointed by the tasting session.
Overall score out of 7/10.
Details:
| Cost | $23,000 per person for the private tour and tasting (I was offered a discount). There is another option at $14,000. |
| Ease of booking | Good. The process of booking by email was quick and straightforward |
| Information prior to arrival | Good. The website contains information about the tours. |
| Getting there | Fairly straightforward. |
| Welcome on arrival | OK. We arrived early and were greeted by a salesperson. Our guide was not yet there. |
| Efficiency | Good |
| Toilets | The toilet at the winery was not working, so arrangements were made to take us across the road to use the facilities in Casa Marin’s wine bar area. They were in need of cleaning. |
| Café / restaurant | There was a nice-looking wine bar area but it wasn’t in use that day. |
| Shop | Very basic, just stocks Casa Marin wines and also another label belonging to Felipe Marín called Lo Abarca. |
| Languages available | English and Spanish |
| Brief description of tour | A good, thorough tour. I had already said in my email that I prefer lots of information and the guide was happy to take the time needed. We were able to walk right by the vines and were given good explanations of the grape growing part of the process, in particular. |
| Tour guide’s ability to answer questions | Good. |
| Tasting | I felt this let the experience down a little. Of course these are premium wines which have won lots of awards, but all the same, having paid a premium for the experience, the tasting felt rather penny-pinching with small servings of just three wines. For a boutique winery to only offer 3 wines is unusual – even the big wineries with their industrial-scale tours usually offer 4 or 5.The award-winning Pinot Noir didn’t manage to open up while we were there – it was too cold and needed air.Also the bread and olive oil promised in the tour description was lacking; in fact there was nothing edible at all – no nuts or crackers, for instance. |
