LA RIOJA - A FEW DAYS SPENT IN AND AROUND HARO & BODEGA MUGA

Sep 19

4 min read

A FEW DAYS SPENT IN AND AROUND HARO IN LA RIOJA

We arrived from Bilbao Airport and checked into our hotel in Haro, the splendid

HOTEL LOS AGUSTINOS Calle San Agustín 2, 26200 Haro, La Rioja +34 941 31 13 08

Founded as a convent in 1373, the building has been through various guises, including:

1809 – Guarnición militar (Military garrison).

1811 – Hospital militar (Military hospital).

1839 – Cárcel (Prison).

1989 – Hotel.

This beautiful building is steeped in history.

It includes a fantastic glass-roofed courtyard.

This is home to the hotel’s outstanding restaurant, where unique dining and wine events take place.

The hotel is conveniently situated in the historical centre of Haro, making everything easily accessible on foot.

After checking in, we went for a walk to find some pinchos for lunch.

What was supposed to be a brief walk to Plaza de la Paz to find Calle Bilibio 1 turned into a lengthy journey, as Google Maps led us in circles before we eventually found it.

We were looking for Bar La Esquina, tucked just behind the plaza.

BAR LA ESQUINA Calle Bilibio 1, 26200 Haro, La Rioja +34 616 76 80 85 A vibrant bar popular with locals. We were fortunate to get there before it was packed.

Brocheta a la plancha de langostinos con piña (grilled prawn and pineapple skewer)

Rabas con mayonesa (deep-fried breaded cuttlefish with mayonnaise)

Setas al Cabrales (mushrooms with Cabrales blue cheese from Asturias)

The meals are prepared fresh and served by extremely friendly and accommodating staff. Like many smaller bars, they don’t accept credit cards, so be sure to have cash on hand.

After enjoying our fill of pintxos and beers, we travelled across town, crossing the River Ebro, to one of our main reasons for visiting Haro and La Rioja: a private tour at Bodegas Muga, led by the delightful Carmen.

BODEGAS MUGA Avenida Vizcaya, Barrio de la Estación, 2, Haro

The Muga wines are all stored in the bodega.

They separate egg whites from the yolks and add them to the wine, allowing them to collect impurities as they sink through the barrel. The resulting sediment settles at the bottom and is then removed.

Local bakers or pastelerías receive the remaining yolks, which they use to create local delicacies.

We saw the coopers making the bodega’s wooden barrels from French and American oak.

Wine, as far as the eye can see!

They take the grape skins away for further use elsewhere.

Following the tour, we entered a private tasting room where we enjoyed the exquisite delights of

Cava Conde de Haro

White Muga 2017 Flor de Muga Rosé 2017 Torre Muga 2015 Muga Reserva Special Selection 2014

We then returned to our hotel to prepare for the evening’s activities.

For our dinner, we received recommendations for two places to try. Unfortunately, both were closed, but I'll remember them for future visits! Our top choice among these would have been

RESTAURANTE TERETE Calle Lucrecia Arana 17, 26200 Haro, La Rioja +34 941 31 00 23 Quote: "We’ve never experienced lamb as exquisite as this and doubt we will anywhere else. It’s a family-run establishment with excellent service; a local tradition.” Outside the closed restaurant, we encountered a couple of Americans who wanted to dine there. Instead, they joined us, and we eventually ended up here.

HOTEL ARROPE Calle Virgen de la Vega 31, 26200 Haro, La Rioja +34 941 30 40 25 This hotel is opposite Hotel Los Agustinos and has a modern Restaurant serving traditional dishes.

Conejo con Arroz (rabbit with rice) Ravioli de Cangrejo (crab ravioli)

Croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes)

Cochinillo a baja temperatura (slow-cooked suckling pig)

Cabrito asado (roast kid goat)

We had a bottle of Contino Reserva 2007 for €28. A meal for two would be around €90.

We returned to our hotel after a pleasant evening with our two new American friends.

The next day, on our journey to Logroño, we stopped in the walled town of Laguardia, in the southern part of the province of Álava, within the Rioja Alavesa region of the Basque Autonomous Community.

The town is made up of narrow lanes lined with restaurants and shops.

The narrow lanes provide shade from the heat during the summer heat and shelter from the wind and cold in the winter.

Visions of grapes are everywhere.

We passed an old favourite where we had eaten before.

RESTAURANTE CUEVA LA MURALLA Calle Pagános 42, Laguardia, La Rioja +34 945 60 01 98 The establishment is managed by a husband-and-wife team, with the wife handling the front-of-house and the husband serving as the chef. Although neither speaks English, they are very friendly. The cuisine is mainly local and excellently prepared. If available, you should definitely try the remarkably tender solomillo de lomo. There’s also a fascinating cellar with a dining area below.