Wine tasting in Rioja

 We arrived in Bilbao last night and checked in to our hotel on the river near the Guggenheim museum. This striking museum, designed by Frank Gehry, started a renaissance in what was a dying industrial town. Now there are many interesting and beautiful buildings here. We had dinner at our hotel, since we were too tired to venture far. I changed my clothes shedding my yoga pants and top I had worn for 24 hours. I put on a nice clean pair of jeans and a new top. The host at the restaurant said we would have to wait over an hour for dinner, but we could have snacks right away. We said we’d happily eat snacks.  We were given the option of eating inside or out. It has been raining but it had stopped so we chose outside. A couple tables looked wet but we were able to choose a dry one. I sat down and yuk! I had sat on a soaking wet cushion. Now my clean jeans had a soggy bottom. We found some dry chairs and ordered 3 types of snacks - ham, cheese and octopus - all delicious. I enjoyed some white wine, and Nick sampled a local beer. The waiter/bartender was very nice.

This morning we had breakfast (tasty omelette and pastries) at the hotel. The coffee was a Nespresso machine and we would have appreciated “real” coffee.

At 9 am, we were picked up by our guide for the day, Jon. He was very personable and knowledgeable. It was raining when we left but John explained that is the typical weather in Bilbao and we would leave all the rain behind when we crossed the mountains. He was right - it was completely dry and sunny on the other side. We drove for about an hour with Jon explaining the different types of wine made in the Rioja area. He also said that in the mid 1800s, a bug had decimated the vineyards in France, and loads of wineries sprung up in Rioja. A large group of them clustered around a train station so transport of grapes and wine to France and other areas was easier. Now the wineries are tightly controlled by DOC, and they all strive to earn their certifications. We visited 3 different small boutique wineries for tastings. The most common grape used is a Tempranillo, but we also liked a Grenache. Delightful young women guided our tastings and answered any questions. Although Rioja is known for red wines, each of the wineries we visited also makes a white, and we enjoyed that as well. Among the distinction of the Rioja wines is that they are aged in the bottle at the Bodega (winery) after they are aged in the barrels. One of the wineries also aged the wines in concrete eggs. It was fascinating and delightful.

For lunch we stopped in La Guardia for Pintxos (pronounced Pinchos). Jon explained that a Pintxo is an elaborate combination of foods served on a piece of bread while tapas is free snack you get when you order a drink. The Basque eat them out of hand while tourists use a knife

and fork. Nick gave the Basque method a go, and Jon was very complimentary.

After lunch, we walked around the Village of La Guardia which was very scenic. Homes were built using the original stone walls. We saw some beautiful scenery from an overlook and a child and his dad playing Jai Alai, which was invented in the Basque Country. It is a handball game.

Jon drove us back to Bilbao and took us past the “old town” area, pointing out some places to eat and shop. It was a grand first day and the rain has stopped in time for us to go exploring for dinner.