Visiting thepeopleandplacesbehindNorwegian’snew,premiumwines
OnSpain’s
wine trail
WORDS: OMER ALI
I
t’s the thirdweekof
September, and the
grapeharvest has just
begun inLaRioja,
north-east Spain’swine
region. Trucks ladenwith freshlypicked
grapesmake theirway along the streets
ofHaro inLaRioja, 90minutes’ drive
fromBilbao, tobedepositedat the
prestigiousBodegasBilbaínaswinery.
A group fromNorwegian and the
wineproducers have travelledhere to
try thenewwines thatwill be served
onboard, starting thismonth. In three
dayswe’ll visit threewineries ownedby
celebratedwineproducerCodorníu,
coveringmore than600kmand tasting
around25wines.
BodegasBilbaínas is our first stop.
Perchedon theedgeof town, it’s
surroundedby its vineyards – a rarity
whenmost vineyards areout of town.
After a tour of thewinery’s cellars,
wemeet headwinemakerDiegoPinilla,
whohas been at BodegasBilbaínas
since2007. Heexplains thewinery’s
philosophy aswe try someof his
most popularwines, including the
ViñaPomal range, alongsidemore
experimental
vinos singulares
. “It’s
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