Yolanda Ortiz de Arri's wine tour across the Basque Country

Vitoria-born journalist and translator, Yolanda Ortiz de Arri is one of our most appreciated collaborators. Among other contributions, she's the responsible for the English translation of this blog.

With extensive experience in our sector, Yolanda is currently part of Spanish Wine Lover editorial team (where she's also editor of the English version) and writes about the world of wine for diverse Spanish and international media. One of them is the influential web platform run by British wine writer Jancis Robinson, where she has recently published an essential article about the best places to enjoy wine, specially with food, in the Basque Country.

The article brings us legendary places, less known taverns, Basque food jewels and bars that we cannot miss. It is a delicious and thriving tour that can be read here.

We wanted to highlight four fragments about four places with which we can set some relationship, historical or current, with our Muriel Wines brands. We've marked in green colour our affixes to Yolanda's text, which, we'd like to insist, you should not miss.

Rekondo
San Sebastián

This stone caserío on Mount Igeldo houses one of the best restaurant wine cellars in the world. The basement stores upwards of 125,000 bottles and around 4,000 different selections ranging from Txakoli to verticals of Vega Sicilia going back to 1917, or Rioja classics such as Marqués de Riscal with some 80 to 90 vintages, as well as the top names from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Owner Txomin Rekondo, now in his eighties, still likes to greet clients, but it is Argentine sommelier Martin Flea, a passionate wine lover, who now takes care of this great liquid treasure.

The real treat at Rekondo is to have lunch or dinner and open a few bottles. Rice with clams and txangurro (spider crab) are classic dishes, always served in generous portions. Rekondo's legendary wine cellar keeps several old vintages of Conde de los Andes, the winery and brand that is part of Muriel Wines since 2014. It is worth knowing those well-preserved bottles, which speak of a story of finesse and elegance.

Txomin Rekondo

Amelibia
Laguardia

Since Amelibia opened in 2015 in Laguardia, a beautiful village in Rioja Alavesa, Alex Álvarez always had some geeky wines in her cellar, but the official list was recently extended to small and medium-sized producers from Rioja and other areas of Spain and abroad, including a handful of champagnes, all at moderate prices and served in high quality glassware.

The à la carte menu features traditional recipes and seasonal ingredients lovingly prepared by chef Patxi Amelibia, Alex's husband. Service is friendly and efficient. The restaurant opens only at lunchtime.

Amelibia is literally surrounded by the Rioja Alavesa vineyards. These vines, mostly of Tempranillo variety, provide the needed grapes to produce our Muriel and Viña Muriel wine brands. The harmony of the region is incredible: the appropiate climate, the right soils, the traditions and the best food to pair with the deep yet fresh personality of the red wines.

Ganbara
San Sebastián

With over 25 years of history, Ganbara is still a favourite with customers sidling up to the counterto enjoy classic pintxos and platters on offer like kokotxas (hake or cod cheeks).

Wines by the glass include a diverse and generally interesting offer of mostly Spanish wines that range from Viña Tondonia to the volcanic wines of Tenerife. It is worth visiting on a weekday, around 2.30-3pm, when the crowds are gone and the waiters are less busy. The basement houses a dining room with less than a dozen tables so booking is a good idea.

Whenever we visit one of those fantastic classic pintxo bars like Ganbara we remember part of our family history: grandfather José Murúa, founder in the 20s of the original Muriel winery, dedicated himself for decades to bring and sell wine from Rioja Alavesa to the old town of San Sebastián.

Arrea!
Santa Cruz de Campezu

This bar and restaurant serves hearty dishes prepared with local ingredients sourced from the mountains and rivers near this village at the confluence of Álava and Navarra.

The wine list is diverse and reasonably priced. In addition to a short but interesting offer of wines by the glass, remember that Arrea! is in the middle of nowhere, the list includes around 60 wines by the bottle, mainly from Rioja Alavesa but also Txakoli, other areas in Spain including sherry, a handful of champagnes and wines from areas as exotic in these lands as Jura, Germany, Austria and Argentina.

Arrea! was opened by Edorta Lamo and Amaia García de Albizu in 2018, after years of experience in several restaurants in San Sebastian, undoubtedly more bustling than this corner of the Alava mountains where he's located with his new project. A few months ago we had the pleasure of meeting and sharing a great lunch with Edorta and Amaia in our winery and calaos de Conde de los Andes, during the food culture event Conversaciones Heladas which we already talked about in this blog.

Edorta & Amaia in Conde de los Andes.