Basque Country, Spain
Basque Country isn't like the rest of Spain. Proudly perched on the northern Atlantic coast, near the border of France, the region, locally known as Euskadi, has its own distinct language, strong cultural traditions, celebrated cuisine and amazing wines.
I recently returned from a week in the region attending IWINETC, an International Wine Tourism Conference. It was the best kind of sensory overload! Food, wine, history, more wine and incredible landscapes.
Arriving in Bilbao, I was met at the airport by Jakob from JWA Tours, a company of Basque country locals that provide tailor-made experiences. He provided an excellent introduction to the region and an informative walking tour of Bilbao, including the Guggenheim, and gave me my first taste of pintxos, the small snacks eaten in bars in the Basque country. Pintxos are similar to tapas or cicheti but don't make the mistake of calling pintxos tapas. You will be corrected quickly and firmly! In Basque Country, they are pintxos! My first look at the Guggenheim Bilbao was the puppy who makes quite a statement at the entrance. Designed by Jeff Koons, the West Highland terrier is covered in flowers and stands guard at the museum.
The Guggenheim Bilbao is a modern architectural landmark, built in 1997 in an area of the city that was an industrial wasteland and now symbolizes the revitalization of Bilbao. The museum is so significant to the area that I heard several people referred to events as either before the Guggenheim or after the Guggenheim.
The IWINETC conference began in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz and included a tour of the Santa Maria Cathedral & Bell Tower.
The bell tower is under construction which made the access challenging ---we climbed narrow steps, ducked under low ceilings and squeezed through tight spaces ---and were rewarded with an incredible view of Vitoria-Gasteiz at sunset.
From Vitoria-Gasteiz, the conference moved to the Rioja Alavesa wine region. Rolling hills, quaint villages, mountains in the distance and vineyards tucked in every possible piece of land.
I spent three nights at the charming Eguren Ugarte Winery & Hotel and couldn't have been happier. Built into the hillside you enter the lobby on level 4 and travel down to the rooms. I arrived after dark so I was thrilled to wake up, open my window and look out the back of the hotel, over the vineyards to the mountains in the distance.
The watchtower at the top of Eguren Ugarte holds a private family tasting room with incredible views...the room even rotates slowly so you don't have to move from your chair to enjoy the changing vistas. I was fortunate to meet one of the owners, Merche Ugarte, and she treated me to a quick visit to the tower and a glass of wine! Merche was charming and humble and made me love this place even more. I would go back in a heartbeat!
Another highlight of the trip was a visit to Solar de Samaniego winery. The tour includes a dramatic presentation of several 10 meter high concrete wine tanks that have been painted with the faces of people from the area to reflect the fusion of wine and literature. Titled The Wine Cathedral, by Australian artist Guido van Helten, check out this short video showing Guido at work.
Ysios Winery catches your eye from the road with its futuristic ‘temple’ dedicated to wine, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
After a tour, the wine maker Roberto gave us a private tasting of their incredible wine.
Despite arriving late and hungry for the tour at Remirez de Ganuza winery, it was impossible not to recognize the quality of their Rioja Reserva 2004!
My final full day in the Basque country included a walking tour of the incredibly beautiful seaside city of San Sebastian.
Our guide gave us a short break to grab some pintxos, the small snacks served in bars in the Basque region, before our final winery tour. Pintxos are perfect for a quick snack as everything is laid out on the counter and you just select what you want!
The last wine tour was in a stunning location overlooking the ocean. The vines at Txomin Etxaniz have a pretty spectacular view!
After the tour, the owner poured some of their Txakoli wine (pronounced cha-ko-lee) for us to taste. The crisp, refreshing white wine is famously poured from quite a height above the glass to aerate the wine and give it a little fizz.
He also served some delicious tuna and anchovies that they prepare at the winery.
After several different wines, plus anchovies and tuna, our winery tour was over...and it was time for lunch! We ate overlooking the marina in Getaria, a seaside town west of San Sebastian at a packed restaurant called Astillero and had some incredible fresh grilled monkfish...and cod...and dessert..and more txakoli! It was an incredible week of beautiful scenery and more food and wine than I needed, but certainly enjoyed.
If you are considering a trip to Portugal or Spain plan to add on a few extra days to visit the Basque Country!