Bilbao, Rioja & San Sebastián: Spain’s rich North

Basque Country & Rioja Food & Wine Tour

Overview

Explore the flavors of Spain’s rich North–from the Basque Country to Rioja.

Embark on a deep exploration of the food and wine of the Basque Country and Rioja. Start by exploring bustling Bilbao, the Basque Country’s largest city that in a few decades has gone from industrial grit to gleaming modernity through the redevelopment of the waterfront. You’ll visit the linchpin of the city’s transformation, the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum. Then, head south to Spain’s premier wine region, Rioja, famous for its long-lived reds and these days intriguing white wines. Taste at some of the region’s most exciting producers, explore picturesque villages, and immerse yourself in the traditional and avant-garde sides of Rioja’s delicious cuisine. The last leg of your journey will take you to San Sebastián, the seaside jewel and home to many of the Basque Country’s best restaurants. Explore the city and the Basque coast while sampling traditional Basque cuisine.

Bilbao → Rioja → San Sebastian

☾ 7 Nights

THE BASQUE COUNTRY

When it comes to food, the Basque Country seems to have it all. There are scores of Michelin Star restaurants, born from the Basque response to France’s nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s. The culture of culinary innovation has spread across Spain since then, but the Basque Country is still the heart of modern Spanish food. All of that creativity had to come from somewhere, though, and here it is the richness of ingredients and recipes. The Basque countryside offers wild-caught Atlantic fish, foraged mushrooms, dry-aged beef, sheep’s milk cheese, fresh vegetables, and artisan cider and Txakolí, the local white wine. 

The quality ingredients are everywhere here, not just in the manicured dining rooms of haute cuisine restaurants. Pintxos bars (Basque tapas bars) compete to have the best and most creative inventions. Seaside restaurants serve the best grilled fish you’ll ever have, and in the hamlets of the countryside, simple recipes shine with the flavors of the hills. Food is so central to Basque life that many Basques, traditionally but no longer only men, form cooking clubs (txokos) where members use professional kitchens to cook for each other and their friends. Even economical midday menus in the cities will surprise you with the purity of flavor in their dishes. 

You can eat all the Michelin star meals you could want in the Basque Country. But trust me, you won’t want many because the food everywhere you go is so good. I say eat like the Basques do: traditional food made with great products sourced and produced in Euskadi, in bars and restaurants and cooking clubs. Then you’ll understand what all the fuss has been about.

BILBAO

The Guggenheim Museum, erected on Bilbao’s redeveloped riverfront where shipbuilding instalations once stood, is the symbol of Bilbao’s success. While San Sebastián has deep connections to France, Bilbao is Basque and proud. Impeccable 19th-century construction from its glory days as the heart of Basque shipping sit next to the glimmering hotels, apartments, and corporate headquarters that remind you that you are in the economic center of the region. You’ll find pintxos here, as in San Sebastián, but with a more local feel. From decades-old eateries overlooking the city to creative cuisine at seafood-specialized Mina and Nerua restaurants, Bilbao is the perfect place to see and feel the identity of today’s Basque Country.

RIOJA

Rioja feels a world apart from the nearby Basque Country. The towns and villages are dominated by ancient castles, churches and monasteries, but most of all by wineries. Vineyards are everywhere, but the wineries have always been in town in the Rioja. In honorary wine capital Haro, the Station Quarter is full of them, their famous names and tasting rooms beckoning. 

The mountains protecting Rioja to the north and the south make this region a wine sanctuary. Great wine is everywhere: at the pintxos bars of Haro and Logroño, the traditional restaurants in Laguardia and Casalarreina, and the cavernous cellars of Michelin-star restaurants. The food ranges from rustic to refined, but is consistently local, seasonal, and high-quality. 

Above all, Rioja is beautiful. Perfectly preserved medieval villages, rolling hills covered in vines whose leaves paint them in jewel tones every fall, sprawling old wineries full of ancient barrels next to psychedelic new complexes. You could come here just to look at it all, but thankfully the wine is as spectacular and diverse as the country itself.

THE WINES OF RIOJA

There is a well-established style of classic Rioja: savory, age-worthy reds dominated by Tempranillo but nearly always with small amounts of Graciano, Mazuelo, Garnacha, or even white Viura. These wines eschew single plots, instead opting to blend vineyards and even bring specific varieties from far-flung corners of the Rioja. Old American oak is often preferred to French. Many Riojas carry age certifications instead of varieties or vineyards. Crianzas are entry-level barrel-aged wines that can be very serious and great value. Reservas must have more bottle-aging than crianzas, and often age longer in oak as well. The reserva category includes some of the greatest wines in Rioja, for more is not always better when it comes to oak. Finally, the gran reservas spend at least two years in oak, often much, much more. These are the top of the classic categories, and many producers reserve their best plots for gran reservas and only produce them in exceptional vintages. Most classic Riojas can age for years, but gran reservas are built for the long haul, and the best examples will likely outlive the winemaker and the buyer.

Many quality Rioja producers have moved away from this aging-based system or changed their methods to produce a different sort of wine. Starting in the 1990s, French oak, often new, became popular among the top winemakers in Rioja. Producers like Remírez de Ganuza, Artadi, and Contador showed that French oak can make Riojas that match or even surpass those made in the old way. Single-plot wines have risen with the fortunes of new producers, many of them varietal wines of Tempranillo. New regulations allowing subregion and village labelling have firmly split Rioja producers: some have stuck with the old ways, while others have done their best Burgundy impression, producing separate wines from each distinct plot and aiming for pure terroir expression rather than consistent blends. The good news for wine lovers is that Rioja now has more diversity of fine reds than at any time in recent memory.

No wine region in Spain stands still these days, and Rioja has its own rebels and innovators pushing the boundaries. Small producers have found plots of old vines all over the Rioja, from the foot of the mountains in the Northwest to Rioja Oriental in the far east. These often contain field blends, and some producers are even taking advantage of quality Graciano, Mazuelo, and Garnacha vineyards to make varietal wines. In garage wineries you’ll see French oak, but also massive oak foudres, cement vats and amphoras. In Rioja Alavesa producers are returning to the tradition of carbonic maceration of whole bunches, the Riojan version of Beaujolais nouveau. Clarete can even be found, a full-bodied rosé style made from a blend of red and white grapes. Innovation is all around, and should continue to bring great new wines onto the market in the years to come.

Rioja means red to many people, but white Rioja is far from an afterthought. There is a classic style of white Rioja that once had many examples but today is mostly synonymous with one name: Viña Tondonia. Stubbornly traditional producer López de Heredia ages this white wine for years in American oak and years more in bottle before release: the Gran Reserva release can be over 20 years old before it appears on shelves. This kind of white Rioja is a strong contender for the most age-worthy dry white wine in the world: bottles over 40 years old can be not only drinkable, but still feel young!

Viura, the main white Rioja grape, can produce wonderfully subtle wines when treated with care. Many wineries new and old have begun to focus on white wines as well-made examples have led the way. Some are made to be drunk young, while others follow the footsteps of Tondonia and age for years. Other grapes are appearing as well, with Garnacha Blanca, Malvasia, and recent mutation Tempranillo Blanco showing up in blends and varietal wines. One small producer makes no fewer than six different white Riojas! This is a category to watch.

Bilbao, Rioja & San Sebastián: Spain’s rich North

Basque Country & Rioja Food & Wine Tour

DAY 1

BILBAO: WELCOME TO THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Start your trip in Bilbao, the Basque Country’s revitalized city. Kick off with a dinner at market cuisine restaurant La Viña del Ensanche.

  • Private transfer from the Bilbao airport to your hotel

  • Dinner at La Viña del Ensanche

  • Overnight Bilbao

Dinner at La Viña del Ensanche

La Viña del Ensanche is a much loved Bilbao institution, founded in 1927 and serving up tapas and plates of delicious Basque cuisine. The bar, with its traditional decoration and small marble-topped tables, has been expanded with a unique dining room where you can see and interact with the staff who are preparing your meal in an open kitchen. Dine à la carte or opt for a set menu which guarantees that you’ll try La Viña essentials. The wine list is focused on Rioja, with a great selection by the glass and a collection of top Spanish wines available by the bottle.

DAY 2

BILBAO: THE GUGGENHEIM & BASQUE CUISINE

Start with a tour of the Guggenheim, Bilbao’s glittering modern art museum and the symbol of the city’s rebirth. Lunch near the river at Mina will introduce you to modern Basque cuisine while tasting the Cantabrian Sea’s bounty. In the evening, head to the old town and stop in at a few pintxos bars for a light dinner, Basque style.

  • Private Guggenheim Museum tour

  • Lunch at Mina (1 Michelin star)

  • Pintxos bars dinner on your own

  • Overnight Bilbao

Private Guggenheim Museum Tour

Visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao–the iconic building designed by Frank Gehry and responsible for Bilbao’s urban resurgence. Your private guide is an expert in the Guggenheim’s permanent collection and the exhibits.

Lunch at Mina (1 Michelin star)

Mina is the smallest Michelin star restaurant in Bilbao, in a beautifully decorated space overlooking the inlet that splits and centers the city. It’s no coincidence that Bilbao’s Ribera Market is visible across the water, for Mina is a restaurant dedicated to market cuisine in its purest form. The chef goes there daily to buy the best local products, building the ever-changing tasting menus around what is fresh and in season. Seafood is always a major presence at Mina, but the best of the Basque countryside is also on display. Whether you opt for one of the tables or the kitchen-facing bar, Mina is a singular experience. Each dish is pure distillation of the land and the sea of Bizkaia. A constantly changing menu demands a talented sommelier, and Mina delivers a fantastic wine experience with a special focus on small producers. Whether you opt for the wine pairing or explore the extensive wine list, you’ll find plenty of exciting wines and unique pairings.

Pintxos Bars Dinner On Your Own

Bilbao is still under the radar in terms of the food on offer. Once you see the mix of authentic and modern pintxos bars in the plazas and on the narrow streets of the Old Town you will know you’ve “discovered” a secret. Head to Plaza Nueva for a gourmet’s choice of pintxos bars where you order from the spread on the bars. You’ll be rubbing elbows with local Bilbao residents who love having pintxos and glasses of wine with friends.

DAY 3

WINE & FOOD IN RIOJA

Head from Bilbao into the rolling hills of Rioja. Start your wine exploration in Haro, the wine capital of Rioja. Gómez Cruzado’s classic and innovative wines will introduce you to the region’s fine wines. Afterwards, your guide will take you through the streets of Haro’s Station Quarter to taste wines from classic Rioja wineries. Lunch will be at Nublo in Haro’s old town, one of Rioja’s finest restaurants specialized in grilling.

  • Private transfer to the Rioja wine region

  • Gómez Cruzado winery visit

  • Visit the wine bars of Haro

  • Lunch at Nublo (1 Michelin star)

  • Overnight Rioja

Gómez Cruzado Winery Visit

Gómez Cruzado is the most innovative producer in Haro’s Station Quarter, home to Rioja’s traditional stalwarts. It’s an old winery with new ideas, making all of its wines in a tiny building down the street from Rioja giants Rioja Alta, Muga and López de Heredia. It makes classic Riojas blending Tempranillo, Garnacha, and other grapes from the best vineyards in Rioja, but Gómez Cruzado’s cult status comes from its premium terroir-focused wines. The  white Montes Obarenes blends usual and unusual white grapes into one of the most acclaimed white Riojas on the market. Cerro Las Cuevas is sourced from old vines planted with a classic Riojan blend, but ages in large foudres for a fresher profile that showcases the vineyard. Finally, Pancrudo is one of the wines that put Rioja Garnacha on the map. This expressive, fragrant single vineyard red enchants enthusiasts and critics alike, and has become one of Rioja’s cult wines.

Visit and Tasting at the Wine Bars of Haro

You’ll visit some of the wine bars of Haro’s Station Quarter with your guide, where you’ll be able to taste wines from producers such as La Rioja Alta, Roda or Muga.

Lunch at Nublo (1 Michelin star)

Nublo is the brainchild of Mugaritz restaurant (San Sebastián) alumni who came to the center of Haro to work Rioja’s products and traditional dishes. The restaurant occupies an impeccably restored palace in Haro’s old part. All of the cooking is done using wood, whether in the wood oven, on the grill, or on the traditional Basque wood-powered stove. Expect a tasting menu that highlights seasonal Riojan products alongside excellent fish and seafood sourced from the waters of the nearby Basque coast. To accompany the pure flavors of the menu, Nublo boasts a cellar packed with wines from Rioja and around Spain, where you’ll find classic bottles alongside rarities from talented growers. The restaurant’s opening in Haro in 2021 made an immediate impact, so much so that in less than six months Nublo earned a Michelin star.

DAY 4

RIOJA VIGNERON WINES

Start at the sprawling Vivanco Wine Museum just outside Briones, where the Vivanco family’s collection of wine-related artifacts is on display, from corkscrews to paintings. Then you’ll dive into grower Rioja at Teodoro Ruiz Monge’s artisan winery inside San Vicente de la Sonsierra’s Castle. Refresh yourself during lunch at longtime star restaurant Héctor Oribe before a visit focused on long-aged luxury Rioja at Remírez de Ganuza.

  • Vivanco Wine Museum visit

  • Teodoro Ruiz Monge winery visit

  • Lunch at Héctor Oribe

  • Remírez de Ganuza winery visit

  • Overnight Rioja

Vivanco Wine Museum Visit

The Vivanco family made a fortune in the wine business in Rioja, and spent part of it accumulating the most impressive collection of wine-related art and artifacts imaginable. Today this collection forms the basis for the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture just outside the village of Briones. The museum showcases every aspect of wine, from vineyard work and winemaking to consumption and appreciation, through historical and modern examples and excellent multimedia explanations. The collection of art related to wine, spanning thousands of years of wine history, could be a museum in itself, but the most surprising part of the museum comes at the end: the largest collection of corkscrews you can imagine, of all shapes and sizes and ages. The Vivanco Museum is a must-see in Rioja.

Teodoro Ruiz Monge Winery Visit

Bodegas Teodoro Ruiz Monge represents both the old and the new of Rioja in one family. The family has been growing grapes since 1870 around the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. They were cosecheros (harvesters), making wine in large cement vats to sell to the large bodegas, a tradition that remains alive in the area, albeit often with cooperatives as intermediaries. Teodoro took a leap of faith and began bottling carbonic maceration red wine in the 1970s, a drastic step at a time when the power of large wineries was immense. Today, his son has expanded the winery with a whole range of single-plot wines which combine his faith in carbonic maceration and his family’s old vines with restrained barrel aging and careful winemaking. The traditional fermentation in cement with whole bunches yields wines with sincere fruit expression, while careful vineyard management and winemaking guarantee complex, age-worthy wines. Teodoro and his family have also restored their family aging cave underneath the San Vicente Castle, an enchanting historic space which opens up to a view over the surrounding countryside.

Lunch at Héctor Oribe

The only restaurant in the tiny village of Páganos, Héctor Oribe is a hidden gem. Chef Héctor and his wife run this charming and comfortable little restaurant, where Héctor puts his own surprising twists on traditional Riojan and Basque ingredients and dishes. Héctor previously worked at three Michelin star Arzak in San Sebastián, so his technique is always impeccable. The wine list features many wines from Rioja, and this is an especially good place to discover small producers whose wines are unknown outside of the region.

Remírez de Ganuza Winery Visit

This elite Rioja winery represents the balance of tradition and modernity. Founder Fernando Remírez de Ganuza acquired some of the best and oldest vineyards in Rioja Alavesa thanks to his work as a vineyard broker. Remírez de Ganuza burst onto the wine scene with a Reserva, and later a Gran Reserva, with modern concentration and new French oak balanced by technical perfection and a commitment to the Riojan tradition of long aging. The wines are made in a new building in the tiny village of Samaniego built so carefully from local stone that it looks like it has been there forever. In addition to the Reserva and Gran Reserva, the winery makes some of the best white wines in Rioja, including a rare white Gran Reserva, multiple impeccable red Reservas, and Trasnocho, an incredibly aromatic and concentrated wine that is a benchmark for “new-style” Rioja reds.

DAY 5

PINTXOS & FINE DINING IN SAN SEBASTIÁN

Head to seaside San Sebastián, one of the world’s great food cities. Start with a guided exploration of the old town followed by pintxos bar hopping to taste specialties at each spot. For dinner, head into the hills to Rekondo, a classic restaurant with one of the world’s best-stocked wine cellars.

  • Private transfer from Rioja to San Sebastian

  • San Sebastián walking tour & pintxos tour lunch

  • Dinner at Rekondo

  • Overnight San Sebastián

San Sebastian Pintxos Tour Lunch & Walking Tour 

Your guide will take you to the Parte Vieja of San Sebastián for a walking tour. Explore the historic quarter of San Sebastian followed by a pintxos (Basque tapas) tour, where you’ll eat your way around pintxos bars, sampling the small sculpted creations washed down with Txakoli or Rioja wine.

Dinner at Rekondo

Rekondo is an institution in San Sebastián, a mandatory visit for food and wine lovers, equally respected for its elegant Basque cuisine as for its world-class wine cellar. You can dine on the best products from the sea and the Basque countryside, from fresh shellfish to grilled fish and meats, all prepared and presented impeccably. 

The wine cellar is what Rekondo is truly famous for. Over one hundred thousand bottles collected by owner Txomín over decades make up one of Wine Spectator’s five best cellars in the world. The finest wines of Spain are present in all their forms, from the latest bottlings of young growers to bottles with decades of aging from the country’s most famous names like Vega Sicilia, Artadi and López de Heredia. Many of the bottles in the cellar are unavailable anywhere else in the world, and are offered at reasonable prices. For lovers of wines from around the world, there’s an extensive collection of fine wines from every corner of the world, including a particularly complete Mouton Rothschild vertical. Whatever your taste, Rekondo is a wine temple worth visiting.

DAY 6

TXAKOLI WINE IN GETARIA

Head out along the Basque coast for an Atlantic day. Visit Zumaia to see otherworldly rock formations. Then, stop at a hilltop Txakoli winery with views of the ocean for a tasting of this typical Basque white wine. In the town of Getaria, it’s time for a grilled fish blowout lunch at Kaia Kaipe. In the evening, head to the casual fine dining destination Muxumartín near San Sebastián’s fishing port.

  • Zumaia visit

  • Txakoli winery visit

  • Lunch at Kaia Kaipe

  • Dinner at Muxumartín

  • Overnight San Sebastian

Visit Zumaia

See the stunning village of Zumaia between San Sebastián and Getaria. It’s a pretty Basque fishing town in one of the most beautiful parts of the Basque coastline. The old town has a number of interesting buildings, while the coastline is home to steep cliffs and otherworldly flysch rock formations.

Txakoli Winery Visit

Txakoli is the traditional wine of the Basque coast, best known as a refreshing light white with a little sparkle but capable of much more in its best examples. Txakoli was traditionally made at home using native grapes Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza. Modern winemaking has improved the quality of Txakoli, enabling its rise across Spain and around the world, particularly in the United States. Red, rosé, and fully sparkling txakolis have joined whites across the Basque Country, but Getaria remains the heart of Txakoli production with its vineyards planted on verdant hills overlooking the Cantabrian Sea. Visiting one of these stunning wineries before a seafood lunch at one of Getaria’s world-class restaurants is an essential experience.

Lunch at Kaia Kaipe Restaurant

On the waterfront of the fishing village of Getaria lies Kaia Kaipe, legendary seafood restaurant and temple to the Basque grilling tradition. Fresh-caught specialties like sea bream and turbot are grilled to perfection before your eyes to create the pinnacle of classic Basque cuisine. You’ll find a menu stuffed with other delicacies as well; top-quality shellfish is an exceptional choice. The wine cellar contains over 40,000 bottles of over 1,000 different wines from every corner of Spain and the world. You’ll find the greatest wines of Spain here, including old vintages dating back decades, some from producers that no longer exist. Kaia Kaipe is widely considered one of the best restaurants in Spain, and for good reason.

Dinner at Muxumartín

Just steps from San Sebastian’s fishing port, Muxumartín serves Basque classics with updated touches. The two chefs, friends from their time working in Michelin star kitchens, opened this restaurant and pintxos bar to celebrate the best of the local cuisine in its pure form. On the menu, you’ll find impeccably prepared dishes with the best local Basque product. Opt for the restaurant or, if appetite is lacking, skip the reservation and squeeze into the pintxos bar for light, creative dishes with glasses of local wine.

DAY 7

COOKING IN SAN SEBASTIÁN

Finish your time in San Sebastián with a very special food and wine experience. A local will take you inside one of the city’s private gastronomic clubs for a home-cooked feast. Eat, drink and relax as the Basques do. For dinner, local-obsessed Zelai Txiki will provide you a proper sendoff to San Sebastián.

  • Private gastronomic club lunch

  • Dinner at Zelai Txiki

  • Overnight San Sebastián

Private Gastronomic Club Lunch in San Sebastián

Your local food and wine specialist guide will pick you up at the hotel for a private lunch in San Sebastian. Go to the market to buy the ingredients for your lunch. Seafood will likely figure on the menu as it is plentiful and fresh in San Sebastian. Then it’s on to a private gastronomic club where your guide is a member. Here you’ll get to enjoy the products you bought, some of which are ready to eat and some of which will be cooked while you enjoy local wine, talk and relax. A true Basque lunch in the region’s most authentic food and wine environment.

Dinner at Zelai Txiki

Head into the hills of San Sebastian for a spectacular Basque meal at Zelai Txiki. Here you will be treated to the best products of the Basque country, expertly prepared. The restaurant has its own garden, providing fresh seasonal produce. Then there’s the incredible selection of fish and seafood from the nearby Atlantic, and of course typical Basque grilled meats. This is San Sebastian at its best, honest, precise and delicious cooking.

DAY 8

DEPARTURE

  • Private transfer to the San Sebastián or Bilbao airport for departure.

HOTELS

Bilbao - 2 nights

Hotel Miro - Modern 4-star hotel across the street from the Guggenheim Museum. Rooms offer stunning views of the Guggenheim. Great service and easy access to visits and dining options in the center of Bilbao.



Rioja - 2 nights

Hotel Santa María Briones - Luxurious hotel in a beautifully restored palace in the heart of the hilltop town of Briones. Each room and public space has been furnished to highlight the historic building’s features while bringing modern comfort. The new vision of luxury in Rioja.




San Sebastián - 3 nights

Nobu Hotel San Sebastian - One of the latest additions to San Sebastian’s luxury hotel scene, the Basque outpost of Nobu’s hotel and restaurant empire occupies a turn of the century mansion right on La Concha beach. All of the luxuriously furnished rooms offer view of the ocean, and the hotel’s location offers easy access to the best of the city. The on-site Nobu restaurant serves the chef’s legendary dishes for something different in the Basque food capital.






INCLUDED

  • 7 nights hotel, double occupancy

  • breakfast daily in the hotel

  • 5 lunches with wine

  • pintxos tour dinner with wine

  • expert private guides

  • private premium wine tasting

  • private transportation for wine touring

  • restaurant reservations and recommendations

  • full trip planning

  • in-country trip assistance and on-the-ground support

  • Epicurean Ways expertise

NOT INCLUDED

  • flights to/from Spain and flights within Spain

  • tips to guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)

  • travel insurance (recommended) Note that TravelSafe travel insurance can be arranged through Epicurean Ways

  • extra charges in hotels (minibar, room service, etc)

A note on restaurant selections and hotels

All tours, experiences and hotels are subject to availability and will be confirmed upon booking the trip.

We include restaurant concierge service as part of your trip. Note that our restaurant suggestions are just that–suggestions. Places we love, places to go back to time after time. We recommend these places after years of experience eating in Spain and Portugal together with frequent research and input from our local partners. We aspire to guide your choices with information on the styles of cuisine and restaurants; the choice on where to eat is yours based on your preferences and desires.

We have included hotel options ranging from 5-star luxury properties to small boutique hotels. Let us know your preferences and we will tailor the hotel choices for you.

TRIP PRICES

Note that we can customize this trip for you. Add days in your arrival or departure city or in other locations or make changes to the experiences, winery visits, restaurants, or hotels included in the trip. Whatever it is, we’re here to work with you. Once you’re happy with the trip plan and have some idea of your dates we will calculate and send you the price.