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.
French Chef Sally is my friend Sally McArthur, who hosts luxurious,
week-long cooking classes at the Chateau du Riveau in the Loire Valley.
Local Wine Events.com,
the worlds leading Food and Wine tasting calendar. Spirits and Beer events as well. Post your own event or sign up
to be notified when new events are po
sted to your own area.
VinoLover, Seattle wine promoter David LeClaire's bulletin board of tastings,
dinners and special events.
Wine Educator Dieter Schafer maintains a full schedule
of Seattle-area tastings and seminars
for amateur wine drinkers and professional alike.
Nat Decants, a free wine e-newsletter from Natalie MacLean, recently named the World's Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. Wine picks, articles and humor; no ads.
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