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'Boutiques' With a Very Singular Emphasis!

'Bodega' in Spanish means 'boutique' but when you see the word above a shop in Spain the closest translation is 'off license'. There are several bodegas in Javea and our favourite is at the back of the Old Town on the roundabout as you exit the one way. Bodegas sell all manner of beer, wines and spirits, but they are most popular for their low cost, quality wines that come straight out of the barrell. You first buy a wine container and then refill it whenever it gets empty (and with us that's fairly often!). There is usually a standard set of local wines, plus the occassional guest wine.

In the same way that the supermarkets in the UK have undermined the off licenses by under cutting them in price, so too in Spain many supermarkets will offer lower prices on the main brands. However, they don't attempt to compete with barrelled wine. These have their own unique flavours and bouquets, which given the pricing is very hard for them to emulate. The problem with bodegas is that they tend to shut at weekends and during extended lunch periods. But they are well wort a visit if you want to taste the 'real stuff'.