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Public Relations Contact:
Paulette Hurdlik
504-525-1271 ext. 29
paulette@zehno.com
Cobblestone’s Well-fed Traveler
The following was re-printed from The Cultured Traveler,
an online travel newsletter.
by Marilyn Wilson
Eating My Way Through Northern Spain
What are the culinary delights of northern Spain? Among them,
lamb roasted to perfection, succulent with only simple spices
that enhance its natural flavor. Or monkfish caught before
dawn’s light and brought to the restaurant—a delicate
lump of white fish that flakes with a fork and delights with
a richness like lobster. Or crisp, young vegetables, purchased
directly from the farmer to be used in the chef’s creations
of the day. Those are just a few of the delicacies that come
to mind. But half the fun is the journey through country and
culture that leads to the discovery of the cuisine.
Let us not forget the wine! My most recent tour began in
the village of Haro, which is capital of the Rioja Alta wines,
and also home of the Rioja Wine Museum. A walk-through tour
of the museum provided a foundation for visiting and tasting
at the vineyards and bodegas, and understanding the variety
of wines served with late lunches and dinners.
A visit to the Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, in the
heart of a quaint village of Samaniego, provided an opportunity
to see the gently rolling landscape of the La Rioja region,
which is divided into a patchwork of crops. The Remirez de
Ganuza bodega harvests its own grapes from its 50 hectares
of vineyards. After initial fermentation, the wine goes into
large oak barrels to mature. The best of the barrels are selected
for bottling and the final aging process. The Reserva and
Grand Reserva red wines are full-bodied and reflect the care
taken in the process to provide an elegant wine.
Lunch in Laguardia (kind of a sequel to Breakfast at Tiffany’s?)
was in the middle of the medieval city, surrounded by walls
and built on a mountain. No traffic is allowed within the
city walls because the mountains were tunneled out for wine
cellars long ago. Mayor de Migueloa restaurant served crisp,
white asparagus—another delicacy of the region, with
a light savory sauce. The lamb was roasted crisp on the outside
and served with plenty of crusty, white bread to sop up the
natural juices. The red wines complimented the lamb. They
were light with aroma of the countryside, their bodies drawn
from the depths of the soil; a bit of a tannic bite, yet smooth
and rich.
The Restaurante Tubal in Navarra served a multi-course feast
of fresh cuisine—local foods with creative twists: pâté
with sauternes sauce, sautéed artichokes with wild mushrooms
and pâté, soft-cooked egg in a crust of fried potatoes;
seasoned peppers and little garlic bread toasts, squid lasagne
with chive oil, and delicate monk fish or tender beef medallions;
all finished with a combination of pineapple, ice cream, cheese
and coconut light mousse with fresh coffee. The wines accompanying
the meal were a Tinto Gran Feudo Civite Cr 98 and a Blanco
Castillo de Monjardin chardonnay.
Of course, with such large meals served as a midday meal,
one could only hope for something light at the end of the
day. Thank goodness the people of Spain already thought of
that and created Tapas—which is a whole area of cooking
unto itself. Tapas are appetizers taken to an art form. Delicacies
can include red peppers stuffed with cod or hake in a béchamel
sauce; cold portions of fresh-mixed seafood salad; tasty cheese
or ham croquettes; fresh cheese and anchovies; calamari salad
with peppers and onion; fried merluza (a local fish delicacy)
with sweet baby peppers; stuffed spider crab; a unique and
rare barnacle called percebes; squid sautéed in garlic and
saffron; fresh anchovies; clams in marinara sauce; and a variety
of fresh marinated seasonal mushrooms. Every bar in every
city in Northern Spain serves tapas. They are more than just
an appetizer because you can’t eat just one. Tapas, with
a little wine and conversation, are the fabric of the community.
In San Sebastian, excellent food can be found at the stalls
of the La Brecha market—exotic cheeses, cured Bayonne
ham sliced paper thin, fresh baguettes and an array of fruits
and vegetables. For an ultimate dining experience, you can’t
surpass a meal at Arzak’s, a renowned 3-star restaurant
named for its celebrated chef. Every course was a new experience!:
Cream of fresh mushroom soup, a plate of five different soft
cheeses, a delicate puff pastry stuffed with shrimp and served
with slivers of pumpkin crisps, fresh local fish with delicate
sauce, tender loins of beef in a brown glaze, baskets of hearty
white rolls, and sweets that evaporated as they were savored.
Wines were selected to compliment each course—chilled,
clear chardonnays, bold but delicate reds. It was a memorable
meal.
Our Wine & Gastronomy Tour also offers a dinner at a Gastronomic
Society, a fraternal club where men cook and entertain without
female companionship. Guests may include women, and our hosts
serenaded us throughout a bountiful meal that started with
small local fish in a crisp batter, followed by a hearty stew
made of fresh vegetables, roasted duckling and baskets of
fresh bread. As the sun slid into the ocean across the bay,
red wine and rich male voices retained the warmth of the inner
sanctum.
I have so many good memories of the abundance of food, both
simply and elegantly prepared, with a variety of exciting
wines—all of them enjoyed in a region rich in history,
art and architecture. It was a gastronomic experience for
the soul!
Marilyn Wilson works at New Orleans-based Cobblestone
Tours, which offers culinary-based visits to northern Spain,
Portugal and Sicily.
Dates: May 24-June 1, 2003; October 4-12, 2003
Price: $2,995 per person, based on double occupancy.
Single supplement: $290
Terms: Price includes: seven nights accommodations, two full-time guides and driver; entrance fees to museums and sites; breakfast and one multi-course meal with wines each day. Price does not include round-trip air to and from Bilbao.
Phone: Toll-free: 800-227-7889 or 504-522-7888
Fax: 504-525-1273
E-mail: info@cobblestonetours.com
Url: http://www.cobblestonetours.com/tours/wine/index.phtml
(end re-print)
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