Cantabrian massif shelters the Rioja Alavesa, keeping clouds at bay; sun shines bright. Ysios winery down the road from Laguardia designed by architectural wunderkind Santiago de Calatrava, is part of the Domecq conglomerate. Only fair: Spain's Ricardo Bofil does pioneering circular cellar for Lafitte-Rothschild, Ysios gets semi-circular cellar plus undulating roof and craggy prow that echo the nearby mountains.
Highlight is lunch at Remelluri winery. Leeks in garlicky vinaigrette. Patatas con chorizo, a hearty potato soup, is enlivened by a crunchy, green Ibarra pepper. Baby lamb chops, grilled over vine clippings, are fingerlickin' delicious. Pears poached in wine are brilliant purple, offset by fragrant orange slices. A cordial called Pacharan brings the feast to a sweet, cherry-berry conclusion.
Dinner novelty: white Txacoli made from hondarribi zuri, a tart, inoffensive, indigenous Basque variety. Pleasant enough with appetizers. Learn something every day.
Modest scorecard today. One white, three reds (all tempranillo), one liqueur.
