Wining and Driving in Varadero
Wednesday, 21 May 2008 10:09
By James Ellsworth, a free lance writer living in Victoria, BC, who likes to sample wines and golf courses in equal measure. He also welcomes comments on his articles at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
If you want to enjoy a slice of Cuba’s beach and golf life as well as savor good Spanish wine, unavailable in Canada, then Varadero is the place for you. There is a bevy of all-inclusive resorts, hotels and rental apartments along the 22 kilometer-Hicacos Peninsula. It is a bent forefinger-like spit in Matanzas province, 140 kilometers east of Havana. We stayed at the 5-star Iberostar Varadero where the service was meticulous; the seafood and fruit was displayed artistically; the beaches were white and invited strolling; and the sea was azure, warm, clear. In addition to the ever-present rum concoctions of majitos, daquiris, cuba libres and pina coladas, and some good blended scotch (no single malts here) to accompany a fine Cuban Montecristo, there was also some pretty palatable wine.
Cuba’s wine industry is nascent and is working with Spanish and Italian producers, like Bodegas San Cristobal S.A. Iberostar serves good reds and whites from the Catalunya area of northeast Spain, particularly Roura Nord Est which does not have distribution in Canada. The red is a blend of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon, a full-bodied but quite smooth sip. The specialty restaurants served Bodegas J. Sarda wines from the Penendès region of Catalunya, a notch above the buffet restaurant wines. A Crianza with a mild oak aging was available and one vinosseur said “It's not a blockbuster red, but one that is refined and shows cherries, strawberries, spice, leather, and tobacco. It ages well and is not as high in alcohol as one might expect from a hot country.” But all-inclusive wining and dining needs some counter-balance and the Varadero Golf Club is only ten minutes away.
This is Cuba’s only 18-hole course. It was designed in 1995 by Les Furber on the site of a 9-hole course on the estate of the multimillionaire Irenée Dupont de Nemours and the clubhouse is their Xanadu mansion. Robert Thompson of Score Golf said the course is Florida flat with lots of water in play for challenge but the par 3 on 17th and the par 4 on 18th are spectacular. It is also described as combining the easy bogey with the difficult par. Our foursome concurred.
Running parallel to the ocean, #18 is absolutely breathtaking! One participant described her experience, “You're perched high above the turquoise ocean that runs down the entire left hand side of the fairway and if you're lucky enough to have the waves crashing onto the shore, as we did, then you involuntarily whisper “wow!” Half way down the emerald fairway, there is a Mayan-style sculpture; then when you look toward the green you see the beautiful Xanadu.....and you don't want this round of golf to end!” Playing with TaylorMade rental clubs from the par 70 tees at 6,500 yards and a necessary cart in the heat helped the enjoyment too. It may not have been manicured to some golfers’ taste and the refreshment cart never materialized but the day was fabulous.
Urban legend has it that Fidel Castro once played here before expecting to meet President Eisenhower and scored 150. But that would be in keeping with another Cuban concept-the golf handicap. It is measured by the number of days you work in the month, so a handicap of 30 means you are working for la revolucion and a low handicap would not be socialist (Thomas Friedman, Golf Digest, Jan. 2000).
John teeing off on #18
windy conditions on the back 9