Baigorri Wines and Dines

Baigorri Wines and Dines
Tuesday March 24, 2015

Happy!

When we woke up, we knew we were going to be fed so well today that we would be disgusted with ourselves for eating too much.  So how did we start out the day - with another large breakfast at Villa de Abalos.  It's just so good, it's hard to hold back on any of the breads or fruits and food that they put out for us.  I finished my second large cup of coffee and hot milk, and full well knew that I'll be missing this in just a couple short weeks.  We returned to the room to get as much work done as we could done morning.  This afternoon will be like Thanksgiving afternoon; sleepy and a bit remorseful after too much food and wine.

We drove to the East and there were green and brown fields.  To the West, there were clouds and snow still falling and fog coming down the mountainside like a witches' brew coming over the side of the cauldron.  We were assured by several locals that we're still early in the season and this shouldn't hurt the vines at all.  We pulled into the parking lot for the Baigorri winery and were escorted down to the restaurant.  Today, as it was off season and a Tuesday, we would be the only ones dining with them for the day.  The attention to detail at this restaurant, on any day, is over the top professional. The tables are set like you're attending a State Dinner.  The food is brought out with flair and at the peak time for the next course.

Menu and Final Shots

We saw before us 5 glasses that would be filled during the course of the meal with the opened bottles left on the table.  Attached you can see the menu of the day.  Each course brings out the special qualities of the wine to which they are paired.  Sometimes the wine would go quicker than the food to which they were paired.  Things that wouldn't be to me the first choice on the menu, were the tastiest morsels on the plate.  Sometimes just the toasted crushed corn that was sprinkled over the fresh smoked salmon, would bring a flavor burst that was highlighted even more by the lighter wines that were served with them.  Or the check that was slowly cooked for hours with their red wines and then served with it to further emphasize the flavors.    I'll just post the food menu and the pictures.  If you are in the Rioja Region of Spain - you MUST come here for lunch.  During the week, you'll have the place (practically) to yourself than on the weekends when the tourists from Madrid and family celebrations are toasted in their restaurant.  Where else can you get a six course meal for 45 Euros, including the wine.

At the end, the chef came out to introduce himself, and he was so happy to see that we were over-the-top elated to have made it through the meal and to have a sixth glass put in front of us for dessert.

Crunch Salmon

Artichokes and Spanish Ham

Mini Taco Riajano

Baigorri Wines

Six Pack of Wine

Riojan Bean Casserole

Iberian Pork Jowl

Greek Yogurt and Fresh Fruit