Being between jobs I was lucky enough to spend five weeks in Europe over June and July. Five weeks not working, not exercising (much) and not really caring too much about what I ate or drank. As to the ‘three alcohol-free days a week’, I thought it best to save them up for when I got back to Australia. Today is one of those saved up alcohol-free days so I’m thinking about what I drank back then.

Let’s begin in Portugal as that’s where my trip started. A number of beers got in the way of our wine drinking so only one wine stands out; Quinta da Lixa Pouco Comum Alvarinho 2014. A mate said ‘hmm, tastes like wine’ which got me thinking about what a load of crap people write about wine, so instead of saying it reminded me of an Atlantic Vernaccia, fresh and flinty with apples and lime, let’s say it was like drinking a fresh spring morning; the sun is up, the flowers are out, but there’s dew on the lawn and a slight chill in the air. And then things start to warm up and all is well in the world. If you can find it, get it. I think it was just over 20 Euro in a restaurant so under $20 should be possible.

That’s how I felt when I drank it and I look forward to feeling that again. I’m now going to try it with a few other stand outs from the trip.

Next, we’re in France, and sipping a late summer afternoon on a stone terrace. Swallows flit too and fro, Honeysuckle fills the air. Chateau LaCaussade  Saint-Martin Trois Moulins 2014, Blaye picked up a Silver in Paris last year. You can pick it up for 5 Euro from Intermarche. I thought about getting a palette of the stuff it was that good, with everything that you’d want from a good Graves.

Fortunately it wasn’t all cheap supermarket wine. My cousin arrived with two bottles of red Burgundy. Good red Burgundy. We’d been making our way through an ok Cru Bourgeois, but these were much better. First was a 2014 Givry Premier Cru, Vieilles Vignes from Domaine Tatraux. Picture a fresh March morning (Northern Hemisphere), a walk in the country, in an old leather jacket. The cherry blossom’s out and you can smell strawberries. No oak. It’s a shame we only had one bottle.

Then we opened the other wine, a 2013 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey Chambertin, Les Corvees. This more illustrious northern neighbour was very different. It was like drinking an autumn evening, sitting on a velvet sofa in front of an open fire. A more serious, contemplative sort of wine. Two very different Pinot Noir wines, both great company. Neither under $20, sadly.

I’m not sure this works. So here’s something else – a guest review from my mate Bob.

Domain Cordier Pouilly Fuisse, 2014

“Like an older brother to those glorious Aussie chardonnays – strong, long and without the wood (if you know what I mean) – a fully grown Burgundy classically dressed, as against a beautiful Aussie with acne and dodgy clothes.”

In other words, a warm summer’s evening on the deck of an elegant yacht, bobbing up an down on your mooring somewhere in the Mediterranean – which takes me back to Portugal.

Unlike Euro 2016, this was a contest where the French beat the Portuguese.