Get inspired by Mentzendorff’s Fine Wine Sales Manager, Anthony Field-Johnson, with some great Christmas food and wine pairings!

As a huge fan of Sherry and with a keen interest in horse racing, I was very excited to have been invited to The Famous Carreras de Caballos ‘Horse Racing’ as a guest of Bodegas Hidalgo La-Gitana.

The Carreras de Caballos is held on the beaches of Sanlucar de Barrameda, but how exactly the races started is unclear. One story is that fish buyers raced the horses along the beach as they waited for trawlers to bring in their haul to the port. What is known is that a horse racing society was established in Sanlucar in 1845, creating a tradition that would become a part of the city’s cultural fabric.

As a huge sherry enthusiast, I was very excited about my first trip to Sanlucar and Jerez to visit Bodegas Hidalgo. Still family owned and run, Hidalgo has recently been taken over by the 8th generation of the family and is run by four brothers – Luis, Antonio, Juan and Fermin. Being the 9th oldest company in Spain, and the 3rd oldest sherry bodega, Bodegas Hidalgo has fantastic heritage and is among the top 500 oldest companies in the world.

I cannot claim any cycling heroics as per James and Alan, although going to Pacha with 50 middle aged blokes was quite brave!

This is the final day of the Stage 1 of the Slam. I can’t believe I have survived this long, I must have burnt off thousands of calories and already achieved what I thought was going to be impossible. I am surrounded by incredible people; many have long since retired, made their fortunes, were a success in the business world, and left their halos behind.

A short climb takes us back into Spain and onto the next hill to take us over 2000 meters in altitude. Once we have taken in the sights at the top, a 35km descent will whisk us to the beautiful Spanish mountain town of Sort.