Rioja: A Gourmet’s Travel Guide
By Ryan Opaz
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To travel through the land of La Rioja is to experience Mother Nature at her finest. Located in the upper half of Spain, La Rioja is bordered by the Basque Country and Navarre to the north, Aragon to the east and Castilla y Leon to the southwest. It is also home to the Iberian mountain range, with an average altitude of 1500 ft that funnels seven rivers into the valley and the famed Ebro River. These rivers go on to form tributaries that create additional valleys in their own right. Together, they create a plush and green area that generously nurtures agriculture.
Rioja is known as a hotbed of outstanding products which provides the foundation for its simple yet quality driven gastronomy. From grapes that craft internationally recognized wines to lettuces, peppers, onions, artichokes, garlic, tomatoes, asparagus, beans, peas, and peppers. And let’s not forget its notable goat and lamb products whose aromas can be savored when tossed over grapevines on open pits.
Welcome to Logroño, the epicenter of Spanish Tapas. It is the home of hundreds of tiny bars all crammed in an even tinier set of streets all dedicated to their specific set of ingredients. And we speak of dedication, we mean it! Many bars will serve only one of the following: tripe, mushrooms, pigs ears, rabbit stew, chorizo, grilled anchovies, among many others. Mind you, this is not the cutting-edge gastronomic experience that you’ll find in several other restaurants across La Rioja, but it’s not meant to be either. It’s objective is to be a proper Tapas Crawl, which means a few tapas in one location, alongside a glass of wine, followed by a wander to another location where you’ll repeat the process over and over again. Some will continue onto dinner, while others will be perfectly satiated in their ambling tasting menu.
Keep in mind that La Rioja is spread out, and although the hub of fabulous bars lies in Logrono, don’t resist the desire to explore newfound regions with equally fantastic bars.
With a wealth of quality ingredients and a history of traditional dishes, it’s not difficult to come to Rioja with high expectations. Drive through the valley covered in blossoming cherry trees and grapevines, and it doesn’t take long to fall in love. But to truly understand the heart and soul of Rioja, you must be willing to open your mind, and your palate, to a vast array of new flavors.
Basque chefs and experimental Catalan alchemists have long entered the limelight of world gastronomy over the past decade or so, while Rioja’s culinary stars have remained relatively uncelebrated. But given the scope and quality of Rioja’s cuisine — both classic and creative — it’s hard to imagine this region’s food staying under the radar much longer.
Spain’s endless enthusiasm for festivals and gatherings means that there’s hardly ever a week in the year that doesn’t include at least one. Whilst the majority of the fiestas are either cultural or religious, there are also gastronomy and cattle-related fiestas, not to mention the most relevant, wine-related fiestas.
But as your time is limited, let’s highlight some of our personal favorites:
Mind you that all of these festivals have plenty of street food and wine or beer stands available; hence it’s worth the excuse to wander.
Whether you’re drenched in wine from participating in a few fiestas or fully satiated from a 6-course meal, make sure to take the opportunity to wander through the picturesque towns dotting Rioja.
Naturally, if you’re going to make a destination out of Rioja, it’s best to ensure your accommodations are topnotch as well.
When most people think of the Basque Country, they think of Spain. Bilbao began the Guggenheim effect;
Anyone who adores food, needs to visit the northern Spain’s Basque Country at least once. Gastronomy,
With a wealth of quality ingredients, and a history of traditional dishes, it’s not difficult to come
From old school establishments to cutting edge places that are all foam and foie gras, your tapas and
Since 2005, Catavino has been exploring the Iberian Peninsula looking for the very best food and wine experiences.