Blog

Wine.

Viewing posts tagged Wine.

Sweden comes to Basque Country!

Journalists from Sweden!

When some journalists from Sweden call to say there are coming to the Basque Country, we were all ears!

Pintxo tour around Bilbao they said… I was all theirs for the whole afternoon!

 

This is their wonderful write up in full with a few pics added in that they took at the bottom. You can click on this link for the original or read the text here translated (via google) into English

www.expressen.se/allt-om-resor/resmal/europa/bilbao-en-vacker-och-valsmakande-weekendstad/

  • BASQUE EXPERIENCES SWEDEN

Article in English

Bilbao is a city full of exciting architecture, avant-garde art, the spectacular Guggenheim museum and tables filled with good pintxos.

The white sands of the Bay of Biscay can be reached by subway, and an hour away is the basilica gourmet city of San Sebastian.

new direct flight has recently started to Bilbao, making it easy to get there! Norwegian Airlines Site

Guggenheim

The first thing looking for a short bus ride from the airport into the city is Guggenheim Bilbao’s spectacular architecture. The museum is located on the river Nervión and changes in different colors depending on the light and the time. This unconventional building of concrete, glass and panels of titanium in round shapes opened in 1997, and was designed by architect Frank Gehry. The shapes resemble a ship and is a tribute to the port of Bilbao. Walking around all the glass corridors among the temporary and permanent exhibitions is a pure delight for the eye. For many years, artist Richard Serra has worked on the exhibition “The matter of time” where giant weathered pieces of piece in beautiful round spiral forms symbolize Bilbao’s industrial history with shipbuilding and iron and steel materials.

The Guggenheim Foundation had a large art collection and sought a local in Europe while Bilbao underwent an industrial recession in the late 80’s, informs Egi at Guggenheim Bilbao.

Guggenheim celebrates Bilbao

By the river, just outside the Guggenheim Museum, Louise Bourgeois’s big spider “Maman” in bronze, as well as Jeff Koon’s irresistible shiny tulips in bright colors. In front of the entrance to the museum a large flower-spotted terrier guarded in freshly planted flowers of different colors. It is the artist Jeff Koon’s “Puppy” artwork from 1992, which was initially meant to be a temporary artwork.

Puppy became so popular that people wanted to keep the dog permanently and the city bought the artwork. Twice a year the flowers are replaced, says the wizard Erik Sadler from Basque Experiences.

Guided tour of the city’s best pintxos

In Bilbao you never have to be hungry, and at all bars you will enjoy good pintxos (small Basque tapas served on a roasted bread). In order to find the best pintxos bars in Bilbao, it is worthwhile to go for a guided walk through the city.

Local residents eat pintxos at lunch, and only tourists eating pintxos in the evening. The idea is to buy a pintxos and a glass before moving on to the next bar. During the weekends, I and my friends make a pintxos round where everyone puts money in a common pot, says Erik Sadler who arranges guided pintxo trips in Bilbao.

We start by trying one of the most famous Basque’s pintxos, “Gilda” with green olives, green chili,  and anchovies.

Gilda is a hot, salty and green pintxos who has been named after Hollywood star Rita Hayworth after her role in the movie with the same name. Gilda fits really well with the Basque young white wine, Txakoli, to be served ice cold, says Erik Sadler and we really agree.

The next bar does not even have a sign outside and is run by the lovely sisters Marian and Ione Vallejo. It is a really traditional bar where the sisters serve pintxos with tuna, anchovies and hot red and green peppers. The wine is old-fashioned from a porron with a long glass pipe. We continue across the bridge to the old part of the city, Casco Viejo with a lot of atmosphere among the pedestrian cobbled streets. Around the Plaza Nueva square are many popular pintxos bars side by side, and the evening ends at a bar that serves a dry and good cider.

Beach and surfing in Plentzia

The next day we take the subway to the white sandy beaches of Plentzi, located in a beautiful bay. Plentzia is a nice little small town with a church and the former town hall, which now houses a museum of the city’s history. From the subway there is a walkway along the river, and past the harbor to the wide sandy beach where the schoolchildren practice surfing in the waves of the Bay of Biscay. On the way back, we stop at a restaurant near the river to have a three-day dinner in the sun before it’s time to go back to the big city.

 

So all you Sweden foodies and Scandinavians who are thinking of coming on the new flight.. Give me a call!!

 

Thanks goes to Helene Lundgren res@expressen.se

All pics copyright H Lundgren as well 🙂

 

Basque Experiences discover more of La Rioja

New La Rioja Wineries for 2018-19

As a Basque Country DMC and travel agency, we are always on the lookout for new product, people and activities to offer our clients. La Rioja offers a fantastic  variety of different experiences, and we have to keep up to speed on all of them!

It sounds like a really easy job, visiting wineries and driving around wine country, but believe me, we are doing it for you!

Modern and traditional

Developing relationships with all kinds of winemakers is fundamental. It means we can offer the best options to our clients. Small producers like Bodegas Tobelos in Briñas, who make around 200,000 bottles a year, and only crianzas and reservas. To the larger Valdemar or Bodegas Faustino, both famous internationally that produce millions of bottles.

Our visits took us to Bodegas Izadi, who along with fantastic wine give us the opportunity to be able to offer gastronomic experiences as well. Really special, tailor-made basque experiences!! In the village of Cenicero, is situated the historic and truly spectacular Bodegas Riojanas. Their superb installations, and excellent wine make for a fascinating contrast to the smaller, ‘garage’ bodegas.

Basque Wine Tours

At Basque Experiences we  will tailor-make your visit to La Rioja. Be you a small private family group, or an agency looking for a trusted DMC, with personalised attention. Its not all tasting wine you know!!

 

  • Basque Experiences Wine
  • Basque Experiences
  • Basque Experiences create wine tasting tours
  • Basque Experiences Wine Tours
  • Wine with Basque Experiences

 

 

 

Basque Cider House Rocks!

Basque Cider House

Any self-respecting trip to Donostia/San Sebastián has to include a visit to a Sagardotegi – A Basque Cider House. Traditional houses, dotted all over the hills in the hinterland around San Sebastián open their doors in spring. An invitation for foodie folk to come and enjoy the splendid results from the winter’s fermentation!

Cider

The autumn and winter months allow the juices of last season’s apples to ferment gently. Tanks and Chestnut tuns are used to create this heady brew. Popular for centuries by Basque sailors, its ant-scurvy properties enabled long voyages… Newfoundland, its whales and banks of cod were a mere row across the ocean! The result is a scrumpy-like concoction, full of acids and green flavours. Sour and sweet, fizzy yet flat…. There are many types and commercialisation has not pervaded into the production in the vast majority of thee family-run enterprises. Some now open all-year round, but we at Basque Experiences prefer the local ones. Family-run, friendly, smiles all-round and that warm welcoming feeling, and way better food & service than some of the larger ones!

Larre-gain.com

Larre-gain is a family-run business, located way up in the hills behind Hernani. With views of San Sebastian and the stunning Aiako Herria Natural Park, the location is spectacular. Small scale like I said but well respected! Guardian top 10 Cider Houses say so!

The menu; Salt-cod omelette, Fried Salt Cod, Bone-in steak and walnuts & cheese is classic. Quantities are always perfect, but the quality, and my fellow steak experts were speechless, was 10/10. The steak was superb we have to say! Check the pics! Many samples of cider later and we were part of the crowd! Serving the Cider from the barrels like we were born with apples trees coming out of our ears! What a great laugh!

San Sebastian

Staying for a weekend in one of the small hostels or great hotels in this great town is a perfect city break. Even Bilbao, the larger brother to San Sebastián is only an hour by bus (c.16€) and gives another angle to the Basque Country with more nightlife and variety. Wherever you stay though, the Sagardotegi is a must! As is the Gin ‘n’ Tonic we are so famous for as a digestif!! See you here soon! TXOTX!!!!

  • Cider Barrels
  • San Sebastian
  • Basque Cider House
  • Basque Cider House
  • Basque Experiences

 

 

 

Eneko – Michelin Star Restaurant

Eneko Restaurant

Hidden away up in the hills close to Bilbao sits a restaurant that has been gaining international acclaim. The Azurmendi is a Three Michelin Star restaurant that was named as 38th best restaurant in the Worlds’ 50 Best awards in 2017  However, it has a little brother, called Eneko

This off-shoot has been created by the Azurmendi’s main chef and owner, Eneko Atxa with the intention of making the restaurant more accesible. A holder of one Michelin Star by itself, the menu is focused on local provenance.

We at Basque Experiences were delighted to be invited in early March to sample the magnificent dishes…  The visit also included a tour and tastings of txakoli wines produced at their own Bodega!

Menu

Local produce is fundamental here and the principle runs through the Menu. Wines were their own; Gorka Izagirre, G22, 42, and Arima as well as a Campillo from Rioja Alavesa. Seven courses of which some of which you can see n the photos! Can you guess what was used though? The variety of methods, ingredients and presentation was great, and everything was delicious!! I had a couple of favourites but I am not going to give the game away… You will have to come with us and try or let us reserve a table for you and your group…

Pizarro

Talking groups, we have our Pizarro ‘Basque’ Gastronomy Tour in late 2018. For our final day with Jose Pizarro we will be visiting the Azurmendi Restaurant and kitchens, a unique chance to dine and discover this superb restaurant!

  • Basque Hake
  • Egg.... and peppers and corn....
  • Foie or Chestnut
  • Olives
  • Rich beef
  • Eneko's Team
  • Eneko restaurant
  • Dessert

A Wine Tour from Bordeaux to Bilbao

New Wine Tour….

Bordeaux to Bilbao! That was the idea we came up with back in spring 2016, for some clients who visited us in 2015 on a private wine tour from Bilbao to Barcelona! They loved it so much we agreed to create a new tour for them. This time to take in the SW of France, the world’s most famous wine producing region along with the French Basque Country and the wines and gastronomy of the Spanish Basque Country…

 

Chateau and Cite du Vin

Bordeaux is the city of wine par excellence. Historic, traditional yet modern, regenerated and home to truly spectacular wines. The Cite du Vin, family owned Chateau Lamothe du Haux and the magnificent Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte all combined with our own excellent private guide. Visits to the charming and stunning St Emilion, fine dining in superb restaurants. Not a bad way to start the tour…

Biarritz and San Sebastian

The French Basque Country is sometimes passed by… It’s more recognised neighbour, San Sebastian gets the limelight these days. But Biarritz with its aristocratic past, belle-epoque architecture beautiful beach and elegant residents means a visit is always a must. Lunch at a riverside restaurant in Bayonne was followed by a visit to a D.O. Espelette red pepper farm before heading to San Sebastian for what was a long yet fascinating day. The Hotel Villa Soro certainly makes up for it though!! Visits to Getaria to learn and sample our indigenous Txakoli wine before an evening experiencing the Sagardotegi… The Basque Cider House!

Urdaibai and Bilbao

Ernest Hemingway was a frequent visitor to the Basque Country, writing, making friends and generally enjoying the finer things in life that we have to offer here! There is no better way to learn about his exploits than taking a slow boat along the Oka River in the stunning Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. Sampling local cheeses and preserves, tasting local Txakoli and sing sea-shanties and whaler’s songs is a great way to spend a day before heading into Bilbao and the chic Hotel Miro

Our week of wine and Basque Culture was rounded off with visits to two superb wine-makers. Torre de Oña in Laguardia and the stunningly located Bodega Contino. Here our farewell visit was rounded off with a delicious lunch… The swaying trees provided the shade as as a warm breeze blew through the vines…