Rioja Region of Spain, May 2014

All of the eastern part of Spain is located within a few hours’ drive of Toulouse France. During the month of May, the French enjoy several holidays, so why not take a few days to explore nearby Spain? And so we did. After a quick stop in the rain in Biarritz France for the plat de jour for lunch (a delicious lamb dish) we crossed the border into Spain. Our first destination was San Sebastian, a lovely beach resort. The city has been a beach destination since the late 19th century. In the old town there are many a tapas bar and restaurants and fabulous cathedrals and government buildings. High above town there is the Castillo de Santa Cruz de la Mota, an old ruin of a castle and fort. It offers some of the best views of the beach and surrounding area. The restaurant where we had dinner was the oldest restaurant directly on the beach built in an Art Deco style. We stayed for a night in San Sebastian before heading on to the real destination: The Rioja, a famous Spanish wine region.  

The Rioja is located in north central Spain south of the Catabrian Mountains along the Ebro River. This is subdivided into three areas:
Rioja Alta: higher altitude, shorter season, lighter old world styles of wine
Rioja Baja: hot climate, deep colored, higher alcohol content, up to 18% ETOH, used primarily for blending
Rioja Alavesa: full bodied, high acidity, poor soil so fields have low vine density

Wine making is a tradition in the area, dating back to the Roman times. During the middle ages monks were in charge of the whole wine making process. In 1635 the mayor of Logrono passed a law forbidding carts on streets where there were wine caves, fearing that the vibrations would upset the wines and cause them to deteriorate. This wine region has set standards for itself since 1650 with the goal of promoting the cultivation and commercialization of Rioja wines.

Grapes varieties include, but are not limited to Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Graciano and Mazuelo. The wine is aged in oak, traditionally French oak, now a bit more American oak. The Spanish bring the wooden planks in, but have a history of crafting their own barrels. The current trend is a preference for French oak made into smaller barrels, with wine spending shorter time in the barrel, but wines have to be labeled as such. The categorization of the wine depends on aging and time in the barrel.
Rioja: youngest wine spending less than a year in an oak barrel.
Crianza: aged at least two years and at least one year in an oak barrel.
Rioja Reserva: aged at least 3 years and at least one year in an oak barrel.
Rioja Gran Reserva: aged two years in oak and the three years in a bottle.

Grapes can also come from a few other areas in Navarre and the Basque region. Many wines are blends of several of these locations and varietals. Traditionally, winemakers decide when the wine is ready to be released, and sometimes they may wait a few years longer before they do. It is worth the wait. These wines range from being fruity and easy to drink to more rustic styles that can be cellared for years. 

Haro Spain is a small town in the center of the Rioja region. It hosts a wine festival every year on June 29th. Everyone dresses in white, gets up early, and lugs jugs of wine with them out of the town and up the hill. After Mass, everyone starts throwing wine at each other. Everyone leaves the festival in purple clothing! Unfortunately we were early for this festival, but made up for it by trying wine at the Bodegas. These are the wineries of the major Rioja producers. They each have their tasting rooms conveniently located next to each other with well-marked paths between them. It is an easy way to try the different styles of Rioja. In the end, I had a preference for the traditional style of Lopez de Heredia.

Since you cannot spend all of your time in the bodegas, there is plenty to see in the surrounding areas. We had a day in Pamplona which was the historic capitol of Navarre. It was named for the Roman general Pompey who camped in that area during the war against Sertorius. Many have ruled this town from the Visigoths, the Muslims, and the French to name a few. During Medieval times, the town was a major stop off for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. The pilgrims were vital to the economic development of the town and keeping communication going between the rest of Europe. Today it is still a major staging town for pilgrims crossing the Pyrenees or those who are just starting their pilgrimage. The way is marked with a symbol of the scallop shell and can be seen all throughout town and the surrounding areas. Many restaurants offer pilgrim’s menus, and high calorie, filling yet inexpensive menu. Luckily there are many shops in town to help outfit the pilgrim. Since it was raining, I was able to find a very lightweight durable umbrella in one of the shops. Pilgrims aside, what makes Pamplona most famous today is San Fernin’s Festival. This is the annual festival from July 6-14th when the bulls are let loose to run through the streets. Brave souls jump in front of the bulls and try to beat them to the arena. Not for the faint of heart, and not for me. We did follow the route and see the statue of Earnest Hemmingway whose book The Sun Also Rises brought international prominence to the festival.

Another great stop is Laguardia, a tiny walled town near the Cantabrian Mountains. Established in the 10th century as a fortress town, the residents dug caves under their houses and streets for storage in the event of siege. A little later on, these caves were converted into wine caves. Several with tours are still in continuous operation today. We toured the bell tower and our guide pointed out the town of Elciego. She said it was worth the trip. She may have said a few other things, but I have become so confused between trying to learn French and having a basic command of Spanish that I never know what I’m hearing or saying. She also mentioned that the lakes in the distance were important stops for migratory birds on their trips between Europe and Africa. So off to Elciego we went in search of something worth seeing.

What we found was a nice old town, but really she intended us to see the Hotel Marques de Riscal designed by Frank Gehry. It is a magical wonder popping out of the fields around it. The day was partly cloudy to mostly sunny, so the titanium on the building reflected the colors beautifully. With the vineyards in the background plus fields of poppies, it was stunning. We were able to walk on the grounds and through the lobby. With a price tag of 361-520 euros per night, we decided that was all we could do was take pictures and leave a few footprints! Oh yes, we might have brought a few bottles of wine home for the cellar.

Salude Rioja!