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Tapas Weekend in Logrono

Tapas Weekend in Logrono

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Last week I posted about the spectacular wineries I visited during my trip to La Rioja earlier this month. I wanted to expand on that post this week and dedicate some well-deserved space to one of the other highlights of our trip – the 24 hours  Tapas Weekend in Logrono we spent , the capital of La Rioja.

The scene on Calle Laurel early Friday afternoon

 

 

We arrived at this small but lively city of 150,000 early on a Friday afternoon. My last minute Google research in the car indicated that the city had a street famous for tapas (Calle Laurel), so we decided to head there for lunch. To our surprise, it was absolutely crammed with people spilling out of the more than 40 bars that are on this tiny, pedestrian street. We strolled down the length of the calle (it only takes about a minute, to be honest) and quickly deduced how it worked – each bar has its own specialty tapa, which is advertised on the outside of the bar. Since trying the local specialty everywhere I go is one of my favorite pastimes, Raul and I went from bar to bar trying the advertised “especialidad de la casa” accompanied by a small copa de vino (Rioja of course).
The specialties in this tapas paradise included such things as patatas bravas, roasted garlic mushrooms on bread (this was the highlight for me), matrimonios (small sandwiches with anchovies and grilled peppers), zapatillas (a hunk of bread with olive oil, tomato and jamón serrano), and sepia. They ranged in price from about €1-3, making for some cheap meals. In fact, we had such a great time and enjoyed the food at lunch so much that we went there for dinner the same day. The wine was also easy on the wallet, making for arguably some of the best and most enjoyable eating and drinking I have ever done in Spain (which says a lot).
The glorious “champis” at Bar Soriano

Our time in Logroño was such a pleasant surprise. While we were there tapeando our hearts out, we were already planning our next trip. The combination of the architecture of the wineries, the wine itself and the tapas of Logroño made this a weekend I will never forget!

Wine Tasting in Madrid

Wine Tasting in Madrid

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You do not have to live in Spain to know that this country has some great wine, as Courtney pointed out a few months ago.   From Rioja to Rueda to Ribera del Duero you can find something to complement almost any meal beautifully.  I am not a wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination but Raul and I really enjoy trying the different varieties of Spanish vino and continually finding new favorites. Wine Tasting in Madrid is more than a national sport!!

Luckily for me we recently discovered Reserva y Cata, a small wine shop/liquor store in our neighborhood  in Madrid that offers a variety of events on a regular basis that have allowed us to indulge this new diversion.   Approximately three to four evenings per month the store offers some sort of alcohol-related course or tasting.  These events are usually wine-based, but I have also seen a gin & tonic as well as a whiskey tasting since I have been following the calendar.   

We signed up for the email list so we would know about the courses as soon as they were announced (you can also find a listing on the website under “Eventos y Cursos”.)  The events are very popular and only hold about 17 people, so you have to sign up quickly if you want in. Over the past few months we went to a tasting of Spanish wine and French cheese (there is no adjective strong enough to sufficiently describe how much I enjoyed this combination), Spanish wine and Spanish cheese (a match made in heaven) and gin & tonic (muy de moda in Spain these days).

Not only did we learn how to pair everything to achieve the optimal taste from both, we also had the chance to meet other people and have a great time in the process.  If you have a passion or even an interest in Spanish wine, I would highly recommend an evening at Reserva y Cata.

Reserva y Cata

http://www.reservaycata.com/web/index.html

Conde de Xiquena, 13

Metro: Chueca, Colon, or Alonso Martinez