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The Wanderlust Effect

The Wanderlust Effect Global Guides

Quick Guide to an Experience in Basque Country + La Rioja

Where to Stay:

! In St. Jean-de-Luz, visit Hotel La Marisa, a boutique property in close proximity to the beach and the train station. 16 Rue Martin de Sopite, 64500 Phone: +33 5 59 26 95 46

! Backpackers and hikers will find a range of budget accommodations in the town of St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, set at the foot of the Pyrenees

! In La Rioja, stay at Hotel Castillo el Collado in the quaint town of Laguardia for a unique castle experience.

! In San Sebastian, friends give Hotel de Londres and Hotel Maria Cristina the seal of approval for a luxury experience. Alternatively, enjoy a local experience like we did by staying in an AirBnb in the heart of town.

Where to Dine:

! For an experience that doesn’t involve the Michelin-starred dining scene in San Sebastian, enjoy a pintxos crawl to experience specialties from the region in small doses. Keep reading for my top 5 list.

! In St. Jean-de-Luz, try Chez Kako, an affordable restaurant that concierge and locals give the thumbs up. Grab a drink at Chez Renauld afterwards.

! In St. Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz, try Maison Adam for casual morning nibbles in true French fashion. Their savory tarts are delicious!

! Try a lunch with wine pairings at Vivanco or dine at Marques del Puerto.

Where to Sip:

! In La Rioja, visits to Marques de Riscal and Bodegas Ysios are musts for architecture lovers.

! For a smaller, more traditional experience, visit Remelluri where you can taste their home made olive oil and Vina Tondonia to see where they craft their own barrels.

Quick Guide to an Experience in Basque Country + La Rioja

Must Have Experiences:

! Wine taste in La Rioja – ideally carve out two to three days to enjoy a range of bodegas in the region, and plan for a mix of modern and traditional.

! Explore the quaint French towns of Pays Basque to get a Beauty and the Beast medieval experience. Be sure to try Espelette’s famous peppers when you’re in town!

! Enjoy the food scene in San Sebastian with a pintxos crawl – wash your bites down with locally made txacoli wine. For a splurge, head to one of the famed Michelin-starred restaurants in the area.

! Enjoy modern art at the world-famous Guggenheim in Bilbao.

! Active travelers and adventure lovers, learn to surf on the coast, where the sport has a sizeable following, or rent a bike and see San Sebastian on two wheels.

Local Contacts and Tours:

! Collaborate with Ernes Olastagasti from Ikusnahi Tours to explore La Rioja, San Sebastian and lesser-known gems in the region. Private and group options available. www.ikusnahi.com/

! See San Sebastian by bike with San Sebastian Urban Adventures: www.sansebastianurbanadventures.com/

! Get a tour or of Biarritz and Pays Basque with native Nadege from Ze Chauffeur. www.zechauffeur.com

The I t i n e ra ry : One Week i n Basque Coun t ry 7 days exploring Basque Country + La Rioja

When we decided on booking a trip to San Sebastian, we chose to round out the experience by including a couple of days in Spanish wine country and a few days based in French Basque Country to balance it out, and compare and contrast the experiences.

Here is how we spent our week in Basque Country, plus some recommendations from our experience:

Day 1: Arrival, French Basque Country // St. Jean-de-Luz

Our first day was our arrival day, and we settled into Hotel La Marisa in St. Jean-de-Luz to kick start our three days in Pays Basque. After exploring a variety of towns in French Basque Country, we agreed that St. Jean-de-Luz was the perfect home base for exploring. We were a couple of minutes from the beach, and close to a number of great restaurants and shops.

Spend your first night exploring the town, enjoy an evening dining out (we visited Chez Kako) and have a glass of wine at Chez Renauld while people watching and taking it all in.

Day 2: French Basque Country // St. Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz & Bayonne

If you're a beach person, you could easily spend a day in St. Jean-de-Luz enjoying the beach and the promenade. We chose to explore the famous French Basque towns of Biarritz and Bayonne by train.

Worth noting: Sundays are quiet in the area. Bayonne was absolutely comatose during our visit and the Basque Museum was the only thing open during our time there. If you want a primer on the region and the unique culture and history of the Basque people, the museum is worth putting on your agenda to start your time in the area.

By contrast, Biarritz was a bustling glitzy resort town dripping with people and replete with a lively energy. Sip sangria at a seaside cafe and spend a couple of hours soaking up the sun and people watching.

Day 3: French Basque Country // Sare, Ainhoa, Espelette, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Spend a day exploring the quaint medieval towns of French Basque Country. We dedicated our second day in Pays Basque to exploring a range of neighboring towns in the region to get a taste of what each had to offer. While we had originally planned on taking public transport, we ended up renting a car which is something that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to tour the region. A car provides a great amount of flexibility and allows you to move at your own pace. Plus, with the options offered by buses and trains, you'll be limited on what you can see in practice.

Day 4: Wine Tasting in La Rioja

After two and a half days exploring the French side, we began our trek to Spanish wine country, making our way to La Rioja. The journey will take roughly two hours but provides a scenic drive as you leave France behind and enter Spain. Hire a driver, and pre-plan for two bodegas in the region that pique your interest. While we booked three bodegas on our first day, we found it too rushed. Two would be ideal, plus time for lunch.

Overnight in the quaint town of Laguardia. While Logrono is the capital of La Rioja, Laguardia brings next-level charm with its fortified city.

Day 5: Wine Tasting in La Rioja

Another day of wine tasting! La Rioja is a gorgeous region that deserves at least two days to explore if you're looking to experience different types of bodegas and wine makers in the area. Hire a private guide so you don't have to worry about driving, and work with them to craft your itinerary for the day.

We worked with Ikusnahi Tours for our second day and visited two more traditional bodegas with a five-course lunch (and wine pairings) to break up the day. If you're interested in experiencing Logrono’s famous Calle Laurel, this is a great night to make your way from Laguardia to Logrono for your first pintxos crawl in the area! Buses are an option and cabs are relatively inexpensive if you're splitting the cost (about !30).

Day 6: Spanish Basque Country // San Sebastian, Spain

Head to foodie San Sebastian to wrap up your week in Basque Country. You can take a cab if you want to splurge (about !200) but buses are ready available from Laguardia to San Sebastian-Donostia by way of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Be aware that there's a mid-morning bus (around 10AM) and the next bus doesn't leave until about 12:30PM. We missed the first one since we didn't have the schedule but our preference would have been to leave a bit earlier if possible. Both buses will cost you around !30 in total, and you'll make the quick change at Vitoria-Gasteiz. Plan on about 3 hours to get you from Laguardia to San Sebastian, and arrive in the early afternoon.

For beach lovers, La Concha is beautiful and iconic if you feel like taking a dip. For those wanting to shop and explore the foodie scene, head to the old part of the city and let the evening melt into night while you eat, drink and shop.

Day 7: Spanish Basque Country // San Sebastian, Spain

Nights in San Sebastian are for eating and drinking, but what about the days? Head to Monte Urgull for some of the city's best views. Tennis shoes are probably best but I made the trek on cobblestone in a pair of flat boots and survived. There are viewing platforms throughout, providing gorgeous views of La Concha and the city below. Visit the Christ statue at the top and be sure to wander through the complimentary museum for a dose of history on the area. At night, head back to your old stomping grounds for more pintxos hopping.

With a week to explore the French and Spanish sides, I think we timed our journey perfectly. We had originally worried about only spending two days in San Sebastian but we felt like that was a good taste (literally) of the city, especially since the weather wasn't such that we felt compelled to go to the beach. With more time in the area, I would add on Bilbao, Hondarribia and other Spanish Basque towns to get a feel for those as well. For wine lovers, I would consider adding another day in La Rioja if you enjoy wine tasting and great landscapes.

Gl i t z , g lam and h i s t o ry i n Pays Basque

San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque) was the anchor for our getaway to the region; a city that we both knew unequivocally that we wanted to see. It was the city we associated with 'Basque Country'. To us, San Sebastian didn't warrant a full week and after a hefty amount of debate as to what destination we could add on to the front end, we decided to keep it close and delve deeper into Basque Country and look at the lesser traveled French side (Pays Basque), something I'm so grateful that we did.

St. Jean-de-Luz

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a gorgeous seaside town in the Basque Province of Labourd, one of three Basque provinces on the French side (there are seven provinces in total). Going in, people would talk of its charm but warn that it's the more bustling and built up of cities in Pays Basque. From our experience in September, it was perfect. After having driven through a number of the main towns on the French side, there's no doubt that St. Jean-de-Luz is a city amongst towns. There are a few other towns that

are well trafficked (Biarritz and St. Jean Pied de Port come to mind) in a different way. To me, St. Jean-de-Luz feels like the hub of not only this Basque province, but of Pays Basque broadly.

The town has a Beauty and the Beast French charm about it, with medieval buildings lining the city. This is a stark contrast to what was seen on the Spanish side and will forever be the picture of Pays Basque in my mind. Admittedly, Scott and I didn't spend a ton of time during the day in St. Jean-de-Luz, instead spending our evenings taking in the sunset along the main beach and dining in charming restaurants serving up French and Basque cuisine.

For those spending time in St. Jean-de-Luz, there's a lot going on, which is something we realized as we began exploring other towns. The town is perfectly walkable and is too beautiful to get around any other way. Choose a well-located hotel if you're going to stay here so everything's in close proximity. We chose the quaint boutique offering, Hotel La Marisa, which provided the perfect location and comfortable accommodations. We could have spent our days just walking around the town, taking in the gorgeous facades and popping into the independent retailers lining the pedestrianized streets. There's great shopping in town, including an amazing selection of artisanal and gourmet food shops doling out foie gras, duck confit, specialty meats and cheeses, oils, and wines, amongst other things.

St. Jean-de-Luz is a seaside town though, and while Scott and I don't take advantage of the beach when we travel (we get plenty of it at home!), that is definitely a draw for travelers. We were both stunned by how beautiful the beach was here; a huge stretch of golden sand with very few people and virtually no litter. I am sure that the beach is busy during the summer months, especially with domestic travelers heading to the seaside town for a beach and dining combo, but during September it felt as though we had the beach to ourselves. Being a harbour town, boating is a big draw, too, along with kayaking and other water sports. Fun fact: the Basque coast is actually famed for its world-class surfing, and while Biarritz and San Sebastian may draw more surfers, St. Jean-de-Luz has its share catching waves, too.

For us, St. Jean-de-Luz was an absolutely perfect home base. It may be more bustling than many towns in the region but that ended up being a very positive thing for us because it meant access. There were ATMs in town, a main train station within

walking distance, car rentals, Vespa rentals, and more resources all within close proximity. Plus, there's no shortage of options for dining.

Bayonne

We visited Bayonne during our first full day in Pays Basque, taking the train for St. Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure to Bayonne, an inexpensive, quick ride (around 20 minutes) in comfort with views of the countryside.

Bayonne, while beautiful, was sleepy when we visited on a Sunday. A bit of an amateur move, it didn't dawn on us that it was a Sunday when we visited, which meant that the majority of stores were closed. Even so, we were surprised by how few people were strolling the streets, dining at the riverfront restaurants, or enjoying the sunny day.

Luckily for us, Bayonne's famously well-done Basque Museum was open to tour (one of very few things that was open!), so we made our way there first. We knew very little of what to expect going into Bayonne. I wanted to try delve into their world-class chocolate scene, and Scott was eager to taste test their famous ham, but neither of these things were possible the day we visited. The Basque Museum was the only real activity on our agenda, so that consumed the majority of our time in the Basque town.

The Basque Museum is worth doing first if you're interested in learning more of the history and culture of the Basque people. We had a decent grasp on the topic going in since we had been reading up on the region and researching a bit, but the museum highlights a range of elements spanning a number of floors. For English speakers, it's worth noting that English is an afterthought with many of the places you will visit in Pays Basque and in Basque Country broadly. In the museum, for example, there is information shown in Basque, Spanish and French throughout, but a pamphlet is provided to English speakers to shed some light on the exhibitions.

Biarritz

Biarritz is somewhat unique in the region in that it's a glitzy resort town, anchored in part by the Hotel du Palais, an iconic landmark on this stretch of beach. The city has a vibe that's more Monaco than medieval French town. There's a palpable sexy vibe about it; a place for beautiful people to congregate, sipping rosé and ruby-red sangria overlooking the beach.

Where Bayonne was a sleepy, slow village, Biarritz seemed a bustling, lively town. We were wondering where everyone in Bayonne was - clearly they had come to Biarritz for a sunny Sunday. We meandered the streets where tent after tent was set up with sellers peddling a range of goods from Michael Kors trench coats and Nikes to handcrafted bags.

We quickly decided to melt into the scene and popped into a beachfront restaurant to people watch and sip sangria. This was one of my first moments of simply marinating and doing nothing, something I'm usually pretty terrible at doing. I felt bad for a brief

moment. Shouldn't we be exploring? Sightseeing? Shopping? I don't know... doing anything?

I was quickly enlightened. Sipping sangria with friends in Biarritz is, in fact, doing something, and it's doing exactly what you should be doing when you're in a French seaside town on a sunny day.

4 Towns t o V i s i t i n Pays Basque : A Road Tr i p t h rough Fren ch Basque Coun t ry

With limited time in French Basque Country, we rented a car and headed down the roads of Pays Basque. The world was our oyster since we weren't tied to a bus or train schedule. Armed with a book on the French Basque Country, we bookmarked four towns that we wanted to see in the region: the quaint town of Sare and the equally storybook town of Ainhoa, the pepper-laden village of Espelette, and the pilgrim town of St. Jean-Pied-de-Port at the foot of the Pyrenees.

For those that have ridden a Vespa before and feel comfortable with getting around, look into renting a scooter for a wind-in-the-hair experience on mostly quiet roads.

Sare

In researching the small French towns in the Basque region, we never once came across information about Sare. If we did, we completely disregarded it. It wasn't until we were actually in Basque Country at our hotel in St. Jean-de-Luz that we stumbled upon a Basque Country guidebook that pinpointed Sare as one of the prettiest towns in the region.

Since we were driving, it made sense to stop along the way and see it for ourselves.

Located in the Labourd province about 30 minutes' drive from St. Jean-de-Luz, Sare is a petite town with a load of beauty around every bend. Admittedly, there aren't many bends in this teensy town. The facades reflect that gorgeous medieval French architecture that we saw in St. Jean-de-Luz and Bayonne; that storybook image that makes you feel like you've fallen into a Disney fairytale.

There was a tiny market happening when we popped in; a handful of tents popped up in a main square with vendors selling espadrilles and handmade French soaps. A tiny shop, Le Piment Rouge, was our first shopping stop for the day where we picked up Basque cider for future consumption. The star of Sare for us was the church and the stunning burial grounds. It sounds morbid, but we were immediately drawn to the graveyard, a sea of beautiful crosses and brightly colored blooms springing up from each plot. It this little town, this space seemed to dominate the nearby landscape and we were captivated for a few minutes before departing.

One of our attempted stops was the Sare Caves (referred to locally as the Grottes de Sare), a somewhat regionally famous site. We attempted to visit the caves which are actually on the outskirts of Sare in a nearby town, only to find that visitors can only tour the caves with a tour group for an hour-long experience. Tour groups go regularly during the day but are done almost exclusively in French but for one tour (at 1:30PM), which is done in Spanish. Like I mentioned yesterday, English doesn't generally seem to be a priority in the region and is mostly an afterthought. French and/or Spanish skills are very helpful though not necessary. We didn't want to wait

for the Spanish tour, so we said our goodbyes to Sare and moved on to the next town on our agenda.

{Total time in Sare: 25 - 30 minutes, with a 10-minute detour to the caves}

Ainhoa

In this same book on Basque Country towns, the town of Ainhoa was highlighted and Scott voted to make it a stop along the way. Not only had I not heard of it, I couldn't even pronounce the town's name (EYE-no-ah). Ainhoa is in the Basque province of Labourd and the Aquitaine region of southwestern France. It's bigger than Sare, though still a small medieval village more than a town. Like many of the towns we stumbled across, the homes are all done in the same color and style, which gives a neat, clean feel to the space.

We had arrived at Ainhoa around noon, a terrible time to arrive anywhere since the siesta-type policy is pervasive in the region. We walked by restaurant after store after

boutique that was closed for a couple of hours. Had more been open, we would have gladly spent more time perusing the area. For ladies visiting, there's one fabulous jewelry store at the end of the main street, Creations Artisan d’Art, which sells unique locally crafted jewelry. If you're looking for a cool statement piece that's anything but kitschy, this was one of the best places that I found in the towns we visited.

It's worth noting that the 12PM - 2PM period will generally be pretty dead, which seemed to be a theme in many of the smaller towns (perhaps the bigger ones, too).

Ainhoa is notably unique in one respect: the homes that line the main street have the last names of the original inhabitants painted on the facade. Our tour guide/chauffeur during our day exploring La Rioja (that's next!) explained that the families essentially adopted the names of the home that they occupied, which was how people in the community would know where they lived and which family unit they belonged to.

{Total time in Ainhoa: About 30 minutes, though we could have been there longer if more stores were open!}

Espelette

Espelette, also in the Basque province of Labourd, was originally the anchor town for our day of exploration. We had read about the ever-present Espelette peppers and the picturesque town of Pays Basque and knew we needed to explore. Espelette is notably bigger than Sare and Ainhoa, and has a much busier, and perhaps slightly more touristic, sense about it.

The homes and buildings in Espelette are covered in hanging red and burgundy-toned peppers as an homage to the area's main export, and the majority of the buildings are painted white and red to complement this touch.

We immediately found shop after shop that we wanted to peruse. First was a tented outdoor stand where we purchased a chunk of local cheese with Espelette peppers.

How could we not? We were gearing up for an afternoon picnic so we were beginning our curation now.

Next was Lorblanc, a shop that had us drooling from the moment we entered. We walked through three sections, including a refrigerated wall of cheese from local producers; a wall of pepper-infused items (from oils to mustards to chocolates and honey); a section of tinned fish and gourmet nibbles; and a wall of handcrafted sausages in different varieties. We loaded up with cheese, sausage, and waters for the road lest we get too aggressive with our purchasing too early on.

We continued walking the streets of Espelette, home to more shops like Lorblanc, though none quite as big. We taste-tested pepper-infused mustards, handcrafted nougat, chocolate with chili flakes, and a variety of liqueurs, and ended up buying a little bit of everything to take with us.

{Total time in Espelette: about an hour}

St. Jean-Pied-de-Port

Our final stop of the day was the town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a village owing its name to its location at the foot of the Pyrenees. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was the capital of the Basque province of Lower Navarre, and has a bustling air that makes it feel as alive as Saint-Jean-de-Luz in many ways. When we began researching the region months in advance we talked about our desire to visit Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port but accepted the fact that dealing with public transportation to get to its tucked away location would be too difficult to be realistic.

With a rental car, this was remedied and we had plenty of time to see what this famous pilgrimage town was all about.

Firstly, let me say that if Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is not on your radar, it should be. I'm happy that we chose St. Jean-de-Luz as our home base, but we could have spent a full day in this gorgeous town and been content.

Firstly, the views from the citadel are second to none. Second, the town has a unique history that's melded seamlessly into the modern-day; it manages to bring history to life in a way that's difficult to describe. Nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees with sweeping views and the Nive River running through, the town is a mecca for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela, making Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port their final stop in France before crossing into Spain, which is a mere five miles away. This was an important Christian pilgrimage in the middle ages and many modern-day pilgrims making the journey on foot still depart from this mountain town. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is incredibly unique, which is why I hesitate to remotely liken it to St. Jean-de-Luz, in that the streets are lined with shops, restaurants, and hostels dedicated to Les Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle ('the Friends of the Way of St. James'), denoted by a scallop symbol. It's like the coolest and nicest hostel town you can imagine, but with very few bars.

We knew that it was an important stop for those undertaking this arduous journey, but we had no idea how integral an aspect this is for the city broadly. Along the main road in town which leads up to the citadel, at least half of the establishments bore the signs of Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques. I mentioned that this was a more bustling town than the rest we saw, but it's a different sort of bustling than St. Jean-de-Luz. Here we saw many backpackers (literally carrying their backpacks, along with walking sticks) journeying along the cobblestoned streets that line the town, popping into places for gear, a 'pilgrim lunchbox', or an inexpensive place to stay the night. The main streets have some great shopping, from jewelry to spices, for those less interested in the religious pilgrimage draw.

It was between 2PM and 3PM when we arrived in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and we were ready for lunch. We made our way to the citadel, a site we knew we'd want to peruse more in depth, and found a little pocket of green with a park bench overlooking the valley below.

It was perfect.

We brought our all of our finds from the towns we had visited earlier - cheese, meat (for him), a fresh-baked baguette, and Espelette mustard - and snacked while we took in the sunshine and the postcard-perfect vista. Even looking at the photos now, I'm in awe of how beautiful this backdrop is.

After refueling, we made our way to the citadel to walk the grounds. Many people were up for the walk around the fortress, dressed in their hiking gear and boots. I was dressed a little less properly for the cobblestone inclines but made it through at a reasonable pace perfectly fine. The citadel's elevated location provides the best views in town so it's worth the little hike to enjoy the vistas.

{Total time in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: About 2 hours}

For us, this was a perfect day trip visiting a range of small towns all with their own unique personalities. While we didn't do this purposefully, our town visits ended up being arranged in order of smallest to largest, with Sare being our first foray into quaint towns, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port being a grand finale of sorts.

We had our choice of towns across the region to visit, and even in hindsight I think we chose wisely with our stops. If you have time to visit only one of these, I would argue that Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port provides the most to do and the most unique quality. If you have time for two places, Espelette is worth adding on, as it provides the quaint charm of a small town (with architecture and landscape similar to what you would see in Sare or Ainhoa) but with a unique feel and palpable sense of place.

Drive Times + Distances

Note: Our rental car came with 250km included in the base price. If you're following a similar route to us - and don't get too lost! - this should be sufficient.

o Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Sare: 14.6km, 26 minutes (it actually took us about 45 minutes since we set off without a GPS system initially -- oops!)

o Sare to Ainhoa: 8.7km, 13 minutes o Ainhoa to Espelette: 6.3km, 10 minutes o Espelette to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: 37km, 37 minutes

Wine Tas t i ng i n La Rio ja : Larger Bodegas

We spent our first three days in Basque Country based in St. Jean-de-Luz on the French side to compare and contrast the Spanish vs. French experiences. Our first day was spent exploring the nearby towns of Biarritz and Bayonne, and we spent our second day on an impromptu road trip adventure to explore a number of quaint towns in Pays Basque. After our time on the French side, we made our way to Spain to delve into the country's most famous wine region, La Rioja. We knew we wanted to spend time in foodie San Sebastian, but decided that a dose of wine tasting/education would be a good preface to San Sebastian's gastronomic focus.

We were picked up at 9AM at Hotel La Marisa by our driver, Nadege of Ze Chauffeur. Nadege was great with working with me in advance to coordinate our tastings in La Rioja, providing a bit of guidance about what time frames seemed realistic for tastings + lunch in the area. Wine tasting in Spain is a bit different from what we were familiar with in Napa and Sonoma, our old stomping grounds. In Northern California, appointments aren't generally necessary and tastings are actually just little tastes of a variety of wines.

In Spain, appointments are essentially universally required which means there's a bit of planning that goes into this process. Unlike wine tastings in California, 'tastings' in La Rioja are generally a tasting preceded by a tour of the grounds and processing plants, which is part of the reason there's typically a charge for tours. This was our first day of wine tasting in La Rioja, and we pre-arranged visits to three different wineries: Marques del Puerto, Marques de Riscal and Bodegas Ysios.

The journey from St. Jean de Luz to La Rioja took about two hours but provided a scenic drive of the French and Spanish countryside’s. There was a clear difference between French Basque architecture and Spanish Basque architecture, with France's storybook medieval buildings bleeding into fortified towns and Spanish Renaissance architecture. Having a driver during this journey made the experience infinitely more comfortable. Between the four of us and our luggage, traveling by bus or train (with the requisite transfers) would have been cumbersome, and renting a car and wine tasting was an absolute no-no. Working in a transfer and a full day experiencing La Rioja was the perfect solution for us and ended up making the day fun and stress-free for all involved. Plus, it wasn't just about hiring a driver; Nadege is more tour guide than driver, so she helped narrate a bit of what we were seeing along the way and enlightened us on Basque culture and history as we weaved our way into the Spanish vineyards.

Marques del Puerto

Ctra. Logroño, s/n, 26360 Fuenmayor, La Rioja, Spain

We chose Marques del Puerto as our first stop because its one of two La Rioja-based wineries that we're acutely familiar with. We buy the Crianza and the Reserva from our local wine shop in Anguilla on the regular, and the shop owner helped us coordinate this special tasting and tour with Javier Abarca, the Export Manager, who is based in Madrid.

The bodega, now a French-owned company, is located in Rioja Alta about 5 miles from Logroño, the capital of La Rioja. We were the only people on the tour, and it quickly became a comfortable family environment. My inclination is that tours and tastings aren't a normal occurrence here, but they gladly took us in and showed us a few key aspects of the winemaking process and the bottling. We were on more of a time crunch that I had imagined going in: we arrived at the winery at 11AM for our tour and were scheduled for another winery at 1:15PM. Based on my experiences in other regions, I thought this would be sufficient. Not the case (more on this later).

We were on-site at the end of their harvest, and watched the final truck of the season bring in a load of grapes from the vineyards for testing and processing. Marques del Puerto is a mid to high-level producer in terms of quantity, with about 5 million bottles of red produced annually.

The Tasting

After a 45-minute tour of the grounds and processing facilities, we were ready to taste. We were taken to a classroom-type setting with windows showcasing the gorgeous rustic surroundings. Elsa, who handled our tasting, was an absolute star; the best and most passionate person handling tastings in any of the wineries we visited. She explained the region and discussed every wine in depth so we could understand precisely what we were tasting in each varietal and vintage. We tasted all of Marques del Puerto's offerings with hefty pours: the Blanco; the Rosado; the Crianza (the young wine, aged a year); the Reserva (aged 3 years); the Gran Reserva (aged 7 years); and finally, the Gran Reserva Special Edition.

Naturally, our tastes varied. Their rosé was my favorite of all rosés that I tried from the region. Unlike the rosés that we typically see being produced in France, the rosés in this region were universally darker in color; more pinky-red than salmon-pink. The Crianza and the Gran Reserva Special Edition were my two favorite vintages; Scott voted for the Gran Reserva (my least favorite of the reds).

Marques de Riscal

Calle Torrea Kalea, 1, 01340 Elciego, Álava, Araba, Spain

Just like our tour with Marques del Puerto, we were on a private tour with an English-speaking guide escorting us through the property. From the get-go this was entirely different from Marques del Puerto. Located in Elciego, Marques de Riscal is iconic within the La Rioja landscape. The hotel was designed by Frank Gehry, the same architect behind the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the style is markedly similar. For most, Marques de Riscal is a must-see, not because it's traditional in any way but rather because its contemporary design draws visitors from around the globe; a stark contrast to many bodegas in Rioja Alta. It's modern in every sense of the word, and

handles large production. Its scale is apparent as soon as you enter: a huge reception area with multiple cashiers, a camera crew filming harvest, a 5+ minute video to show guests the life of the grape and the wine production process, and a great deal of machinery to handle the production that this winery accomplishes annually.

Yet, in spite of the modernity, there's an homage to the roots of Marques de Riscal and the winery's past. A room on site holds bottles from the 1800s, a bottle from each year that the bodega has been functioning in the region.

The Tasting

We completed a circuit and ended in the wine tasting room, already set up for four tasters, with pre-poured glasses of a variety of wines. Doors opened to the outside so we could glimpse the scenery while we sipped.

We tasted six total wines, two whites and four reds: the Rueda and the Sauvignon Blanc to start (the two whites) followed by the Crianza (aged 18 months), Reserva (aged 3 years), Finca Torrea, and Gran Reserva (aged 5- 7 years). Marques de Riscal is their Reserva. This is the main focus for them. Out of the 5 million bottles of red that they produce, the Reserva comprises 80%. The Crianza, by contrast, is a new focus for them (started in 2007) as they typically eschewed production of the younger wines.

Of the reds, the Gran Reserva was the hands-down winner for me, though I can understand why their Reserva is their bread and butter. My least favorite? The Finca Torrea.

After our tasting, we picked up a bottle for the road and made our way out. Our third tasting of the day, a Spanish-language tasting at Bodegas Ysios, was scheduled at 4PM and again, we were already late. Our main objective: see the otherworldly architecture of Ysios.

Bodegas Ysios

Camino de la Hoya, s/n, 01300 Guardia, Álava, Spain

We made it. Well, we didn't really make it, but we showed up about 15 minutes late, so we could attempt to slip into the crowd and try to take in the tour. Bodegas Ysios is located in Laguardia, the town that we would call home for our two nights in La Rioja, making it the perfect final bodega for our first day of tastings.

I knew nothing about the wines at Ysios but what I did know was that the architecture was next level. Marques de Riscal has an indisputable cool modern vibe, but in my opinion nothing holds a candle to Ysios in terms of architecture. It felt like we'd be dropped into an old-school pixelated video game, but the stunning modern architecture managed to fit into the local environment in a strangely perfect way.

The Tasting

Bodegas Ysios only produces two wines, so after the tour we headed to their tasting room to try a glass of each. Their tasting room is a stunner with a slight elevation and a shape that mimics the building's mountain-like facade. For all of us, the aesthetics in the winery were more of a wow factor than any wines we tasted.

This is the perfect example of needing to schedule tastings in advance. After lining up our wineries and working with two different private tour guides to craft our schedules, I reached out about a month in advance to Bodegas Ysios to schedule a tasting for our party of four. Even with that notice, the only 4PM option was the Spanish language tour, which was challenging.

Regardless, we were thrilled to have put Ysios on our agenda, and would have been happy to just stop and take in the stunning facade if they had not let us join the scheduled tour late. If you're in the region, this place is an absolute must. The pictures honestly don't do it justice; seeing it in real life is pretty spectacular. Yes, it's big and yes, everyone goes, but there's a reason it's on visitors' radar.

Wine Tasting in La Rioja with Ikusnahi Tours “Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” - Ernest Hemingway

We spent our first day wine tasting in La Rioja at three wonderful wineries and winding down in our temporary home in Laguardia at Castillo el Collado, a castle-cum-hotel within the walled town. The region is jam-packed with hundreds of unique bodegas so we planned on a second day of wine tasting in La Rioja to explore a different set of offerings.

While we mapped out our first day on our own, we worked with Ernes from Basque Country-based tour company Ikusnahi to help us craft our itinerary for our second day. We shared with him information about the wineries we'd already visited, and he recommended two other bodegas to round out our experience in Rioja Alta: Álava-based Remelluri and Haro-based R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia. In Euskara, the Basque language, Ikusnahi means 'curiosity', and we were excited to work with a company that was helping to satisfy our curiosities about the region with some serious inside knowledge.

Ikusnahi offers a range of options for exploring Basque Country (from gastronomy to culture and adventure) but our focus was on working with them to delve deeper into La Rioja from a viticulture perspective with a bit of gastronomy thrown in for good measure. We opted for Ikusnahi's Rioja Wine Tour, which appealed to all of us from the get-go. The tour typically includes two different winery experiences, including one larger, more modern winery, plus one smaller, family-run experience. In our case, having been to Bodega Ysios and Marques de Riscal the day before (two larger wineries that would typically be woven into an itinerary like this), we focused on one traditional winery and one bodega that melded modern elements into their traditional ways. As an intermezzo, we had a five-course meal (!) with wine pairings to test our sipping prowess.

Within five minutes of departing our hotel we were thrilled with having chosen Ernes as our guide. A fellow traveler with an interesting career in crafting tours (dream job,

anyone?), he immediately made us feel comfortable and excited for what we were about to experience. In all honesty, the more we embark on private tours like this, the more I recognize the value in them. I always hesitate to use the term 'tour' because it has a bit of a nasty connotation for me; a bit of that big bus tour feel, which is precisely what we avoid. Private or small group options like this are something that I find incredibly appealing though. They're generally a great way to add an inimitable layer of local knowledge with the perk of going off the beaten path and allowing yourself to defer - or collaborate - with a professional on the itinerary front. In hindsight, the format of our second day in La Rioja represented what I think is a perfect day in the area.

Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri

Our first stop of the day was Remelluri, a small winery surrounding by stunning vineyards. Remelluri has been certified organic since 2010, and while this isn't necessarily a common certification, it's becoming a more desired direction in the global movement towards sustainability. We began inside of the winery with a couple

of other visitors and a guide who shared the history and foundations of the winery

before we were escorted into the wine cave where barrels were stored for aging.

The winery has over 200 different plots and each barrel showcases the name of the plot that it’s derived from. Their Reserva is their most famous, claiming 350,000 of their 450,000 annual bottle production. Their Gran Reserva and their Lindes (their Crianza) only account for around 40,000 bottles a year each. The Gran Reserva comes from their older vineyards and the method of production is a traditional all-by-hand practice, staying true to the roots of viticulture in the region.

Also on property is a centuries-old chapel, Santa Sabina, a charming church with a stunning interior covered with art commissioned by the owners. The brainchild of Vicente Ameztoy, the paintings represent modern Basque art and depict a whole host of saints with the Remelluri estate as the background.

The route from the chapel back to the tasting area had us making our way through olive trees and fallen pears, a perfect rustic fall scene. When we arrived back to begin our tasting the weather was far too nice to stay inside. We moved our tasting experience outside to glimpse the vineyards while we sipped wine and dipped torn bread into homemade small-batch olive oil produced from the fruit on property.

Unlike the other wineries that we visited, this tasting was actually more of a tour than a real tasting. We ended up trying their Reserva and Gran Reserva (both great!), but didn't have the traditional tasting element (discussion of flavor profiles, scents, and unique qualities about the wine) tied into it while we were sipping.

Of all of the bodegas that we were able to visit during our time in La Rioja, Remelluri reminded me the most of a Sonoma-style winery with the intimacy, the vistas, and the homey feel. It was comfortable from the outset and captured much of the spirit that I personally like in wineries (as a point of comparison, I generally prefer the feel of Sonoma to Napa). For us, it was the perfect way to start the day before heading to lunch in nearby Briones.

Lunch and Wine Pairings at Vivanco

Vivanco was a stark contrast to the wineries we would experience on our second day in La Rioja. Remelluri was traditional, and our post-lunch winery, Vina Tondonia also has resounding traditional elements. Vivanco is something different. It's a winery, it's

a restaurant, it's a museum; it's a place that generally celebrates wine on a large scale... it's a whole lot of things that I probably can't entirely capture.

Our experience at Vivanco brought in a bit of the region's gastronomy into our wine tasting experience. We were geared up for a five-course (yes, five!) tasting menu with wine pairings. They constructed a special meatless menu for me in advance (big thank you to Ikusnahi for handling that!), and despite the fact that there was so much food, we couldn't help but devour it all.

With all of the wines, of course.

All of the courses were lovely but the standout was this wine sorbet cheesecake creation with a dessert wine. How does it get better?

For the record, I don't normally eat dessert at lunch (even on vacation) but I couldn't pass it up this time!

Viña Tondonia

After lunch, we headed to our second and final winery of the day, Viña Tondonia, located in the town of Haro. Over 130 years old and family-run, we could feel many of the traditional elements during our tour and tasting. Generations of the Lopez de Heredia family have helmed the winemaking efforts at Viña Tondonia and maintained the reputation and tradition of the process.

We toured the underground cellars where barrel after barrel of wine was being aged. The barrels make up one of the more unique elements of Viña Tondonia's story. An engineer on site (called a 'cooper' - this was a new term for me!) produces barrels for the winery, in part using wood sourced from the Appalachians.

Finally, we made it to the tasting room where our guide poured whites and reds while giving us a rundown of each wine. Whites in La Rioja generally take a back seat to the ever-present tempranillo, but whites are actually a bit more celebrated at Viña Tondonia. Their whites are aged, sometimes longer than the reds, to produce some seriously great golden-hued versions that are worth a second look for red lovers.

Fun perk? The bottle of wine they gave all of the guests as a parting gift. Ours is proudly sitting at our bar at home in Anguilla waiting for the perfect opportunity to be uncorked.

Our time with Ernes from Ikusnahi was fun, educational and memorable, and we left feeling as though we'd connected with a like-minded traveler, someone we will likely stay in touch with for years to come. In hindsight, between our time in French Basque Country, La Rioja and San Sebastian, La Rioja may conjure up the warmest memories for me. I'm nowhere near an expert on the wine front and probably never will be, but I always greatly enjoy the experience of wine tasting and wine education. As I mentioned earlier, certain parts of La Rioja remind me of Sonoma in Northern California in a we-produce-great-wines-in-an-unpretentious-setting kind of way. For me, this is the ultimate type of wine tourism; it makes the lofty idea of understanding wine something approachable and fun.

You'll notice that our two days in La Rioja were visited with private guides/drivers in the region. Spain has a zero tolerance policy and it's never worth drinking and driving. If you're planning on wine tasting in the region, this is honestly the best (arguably the only) way to go if you want to enjoy your day without any worries. I'm generally all for renting a car and driving for added independence but this is one situation where the cost of a private driver or small-scale tour is 100% worth it!

5 Tips for Wine Tasting in La Rioja Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. - Benjamin Franklin

Our experiences in La Rioja left us loving the region and the people and scheming on how we could find our way back for a follow-up visit to Spain's go-to wine area. If you're thinking about heading to La Rioja for the first time, here are some tips and thoughts from our foray into Spanish Wine Country.

Know that tastings include winery tours.

1. Unlike many US wine tasting experiences, wine tasting in La Rioja is more than walking up to a bar and tasting off of a wine list/menu. The tastings in La Rioja, often at a cost, hinge on tours of the estates, the processing areas and bottling facilities and culminate with a visit to the tasting room to test the wares. In our experience, the tours lasted about an hour, sometimes more, not including the tasting component. All

of the bodegas we visited standardly charged a fee for the visit, most in the neighborhood of !10 per person, which includes the tour and a series of pretty hefty pours.

Schedule your tasting appointments.

2. Building off of the first point, it's important to know that tastings generally require advanced appointments or reservations. Since the tasting constitutes a tour, you'll need to coordinate with the bodega in advance to find availability that works. As was the case with Bodegas Ysios for us, despite booking about a month in advance, our only option was a Spanish-language tour for the time we planned to visit. This will take a bit more forethought to craft your itinerary but also allows you to select some key highlights in advance!

Manage your time.

3. This was a lesson that we learned on day one! We quickly realized that what we thought was an appropriate allocation of time was way off. For our first day, we scheduled an 11AM tasting, a 1:15PM tasting and a 4PM tasting, thinking we'd even have time for a 2:30PM lunch nearby. Sounds good, right?

We couldn't have been more wrong! Being novices to the wine scene in Spain, we assumed that 1 1/2 hours would be plenty of time for a single winery, but we found ourselves rushing from bodega to bodega on our first day, without time to stop for lunch. Our 11AM tasting and tour took us through 1:45PM, and our second tasting had us going until slightly after 4PM, making us about 25 minutes late for our final tasting of the day.

Our second day was paced infinitely more appropriately: a morning tasting at around 10:30AM, lunch with wine pairings at 12:30PM and an afternoon tasting at around 3PM. Yes, we were only able to see two wineries but this balance kept things moving

along at a comfortable pace and never had us feeling rushed. Two wineries + lunch is a safe setup.

NOTE: Don't forget lunch! You'll be wine tasting from morning until late afternoon so it really is worth penciling in lunch so you can stay awake and alert during the day. I would totally recommend the option of having lunch with wine pairings so you can continue to enjoy the wine culture of the region (find a place that appeals to you in advance or work with a guide to choose something that will be a good fit). It's a great option that keeps you tasting tempranillos but also allows you to consume real food,

not just tiny bread sticks and nibbles of cheese.

Mix modern and traditional.

4. As I mentioned in a previous post, I generally prefer the vibe of Sonoma to Napa; the spirit of a mom and pop estate to a massive production. That being said, I love the glitz and wow-factor of pretty châteaux as much as the next girl! For me, balance is key, and I think that rings true in La Rioja.

We mixed big and small, and new and old to try to get a sense of the different facets of La Rioja's production. Marques de Riscal and Bodegas Ysios are great spots for architecture lovers who will appreciate the new feel of these properties (Bodegas Ysios was my favorite architecturally!). For a homey feel, organic-certified Remelluri captured the spirit and tradition of the region with a gorgeous estate and stunning vineyards. An on-site centuries-old chapel surrounded by freshly fallen stone fruit and olive groves added to the experience.

If you had only one day in the region and could only do two bodegas, it's worth experiencing one more modern larger-scale winery and one smaller, more traditional winery to compare and contrast.

Go with a private guide (if possible).

5. Finally, go with a guide if you can. As with any wine tasting experience, drinking and driving is a no-no, so having a driver is a must. We had drivers for both days, which kept everything stress-free, but we had a particularly wonderful experience working with Ikusnahi Tours for a private experience. Ernes, the founder, worked with us to craft the itinerary with two hand-selected bodegas, and scheduled our lunchtime tasting menu. Having the expertise of a local who understands the scene and can deliver customized recommendations is a really special experience. As I've shared before, I'm not a big bus tour person but having a private guide is an altogether different experience that is wholly worthwhile and advantageous in my book... plus, it doesn't have to break the bank! If you're going with a small group of friends or family, splitting the costs makes it affordable and stress free for everyone involved.

Hik i ng t o Mon t e Urgu l l f o r t h e b e s t v i ews o f La Con cha

Oh, beautiful San Sebastian.

Despite the drizzly, slightly overcast weather when we arrived in San Sebastian (locally referred as Donostia, its Basque moniker), the stunning city was utterly captivating.

When we began planning our trip to Basque Country, our itinerary was mostly anchored on this part of the journey. We knew that San Sebastian, the foodie mecca with iconic views, was our primary draw, and we built everything else around it.

The October weather was too brisk for us to spend time on La Concha, but we knew we wanted to take in the view from Monte Urgull and make our way to the statue of Christ, which people liken to the acclaimed statue in Rio de Janeiro.

From where we were based in central San Sebastian, the walk to the base of Monte Urgull was simple, and we were able to weave our way up the cobblestone at a comfortable pace. When we embarked on the climb, we didn't quite know what to expect but we were sure that the elevation would provide great views of the city and beach.

We weren't disappointed. Even at the first viewing platform we were captivated - stunning views of the city with the mountains lining the backdrop and the sea in the distance. It's not nearly as big as Rio, but I can definitely see some of the comparisons between the two cities. In all honestly, San Sebastian was much bigger and more bustling that I had imagined it being; much more city than town, which is what we had come to know throughout our Basque Country adventures. Christ statue aside, the city cropping up along the tan stretch of sand with the mountainous backdrop is reminiscent of a tiny version of Brazil's famous city.

We continued the climb - up, up, up until we reached the Christ statue and the museum at the top. To get to the statue, we entered through the museum and weaved our way through until we were spit out at the top at the base of the statue.

The museum (complimentary) was a pleasant surprise in and of itself. Done primarily in Spanish and Basque, it focused mostly on the maritime history of the Basque people with videos, artifacts and maps woven throughout the venue.

The panorama from the top of Monte Urgull? The best view of San Sebastian.

Top 5 Pintxos Bars in San Sebastian Standout food + ambiance at five San Sebastian hot spots

San Sebastian is its food scene. If the city is known globally for one defining characteristic, it's the world-class gastronomic scene. With more Michelin-starred restaurants than nearly any other city in the world and a slew of delicious pintxos restaurants, its not hard to see why the city is a draw for foodies the world over.

With two full days and nights in San Sebastian, we opted to forgo the Arzak and Mugarritz experiences and instead dedicate both nights to comprehensive pintxos crawls. A friend of Scott's advised us, if you're not doing at least four bars a night, you're not doing it right. She couldn't have been more right.

Four is a given. We started early and ended late both nights and visited around ten places each evening. Seriously. There were a few favorites that we visited twice after seriously incredible bites, but we maximized our limited time by popping into as many spots as possible and tasting one nibble that represented each bar's claim to fame.

Here is a list of our top 5 pintxos bars in San Sebastian + the must-try specialty at each! Keep in mind this list is subjective, but these five were standouts for the four of us traveling in the region.

You can order a G&T, but if you're delving into some local favorites you really have three options when you're on a pintxos crawl on the beverage front: txacoli, refreshing Basque white wine with a touch of effervescence; a caña, a small pour of beer to wash down your small bites; or sangria, a go-to to be combined with Spanish cuisine if you prefer life on the sweeter side.

A Fuego Negro

Find It: Calle 31 de Agosto, 31, 20003 San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain

A super hip, dimly lit space that oozes cool, A Fuego Negro has a vibe all its own. For non-meat eaters, their tuna tartare is a delicious option for a healthy bite. For meat eaters, the Kobe beef sliders are an absolute must by all accounts. If you need a break from txacoli, their sangria is lovely.

Beti-Jai Berria

Find It: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 22, 20003 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Friends, acquaintances and tour guides shared their top lists with us before we set off on our dining adventures in San Sebastian. In many instances, their lists overlapped with published must-try pintxos bars and best bites in the city. Beti-Jai made none of those lists, and I couldn't help but find myself a bit perplexed by the omission.

The stark lighting inside was a bit of a turn-off for me, but I couldn't help but love the food and the bartenders there. We ended up visiting Beti-Jai both nights. Their grilled octopus is a delicious hearty nibble, great when washed down with a

crisp glass of txacoli for good measure.

Gandarias Jatetxea

Find It: 31 de Agosto Kalea, 23, 20004 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

We entered Gandarias first off on our first night in San Sebastian as we began meandering the streets. We mistakenly entered through the main restaurant on the backside where a couple of people were sitting and dining. Clearly looking confused, the waitress asked if we were looking for the bar and opened a nearby screen that led into a bustling pintxos area.

It was early, maybe 5:30PM, and the place was majorly alive. People were cozied up to the bar grabbing their bites while the bartenders expertly poured glasses of txacoli from overhead (evidently required for a proper pour). While most people say that you should avoid the cold pintxos and opt for the fresh-out-of-the-kitchen variety, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the pintxos on display here. My favorite and perhaps one of the more unique was a bruschetta-type offering with elvers, baby eels. With a noodle-like consistency and flavor, these were a fun surprise and a local favorite worth a try!

Gandarias was arguably my favorite of all of the pintxos bars we visited during our time in San Sebastian. When it comes to food and ambiance, it's an A+.

Atari Gastroteka

Situated right on the corner near the imposing Iglesia de Santa Maria, Atari is a spot that seamlessly blends cozy and cool. I think my memories are tied more to the ambiance than to the food itself, though the food was nothing to scoff at. Shrimp bruschetta was a highlight for me, though foie lovers will be able to get their fix, too!

Borda Berri

Find It: Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 12, Donostia, Spain

Without a cold bite in sight, Borda Berri clearly focuses on fresh hot plates for their diners. We passed the famed San Sebastian eatery minutes before it opened and saw a small congregation waiting outside for the doors to open. We knew that was a sign of great things to come.

Their famous offering is braised veal cheeks, and the boys were not going to miss out on testing it out for themselves. For those that prefer something on the non-meat side, the octopus is a stand out.

Honorable mention: Bar Nestor // Dare I say that a tomato salad makes the cut? Yes! The best tomatoes, dressed simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, are a stand out for a fresh healthy bite.