Rías Baixas in Galicia, Spain, is the most famous wine region in Galicia, though it is often known simply by its characteristic grape: Albariño. Rías are inlets of the Atlantic similar to fjords.
Spain’s greatest contribution to the world’s food may be jamón ibérico, the salted, cured ham made from the Iberian pig. This is the delicacy par excellence of Spanish cuisine, beloved in Spain and abroad, sliced razor-thin by hand and presented on fractal platters, meltingly tender. Many consider Iberian ham to be the world’s greatest ham. But Iberian ham differs from other ham.
Mussels, razor clams, cockles, barnacles, baby sardines, squid, octopus, tuna belly, anchovies. Packed in olive oil, preserved in escabeche sauce or simply canned in brine. Some people claim that the conservas can surpass fresh seafood in concentrated flavor. And they say that the seafood ages in the can and improves over time, much like fine wines.
The bars listed here transcend fashion and serve the good stuff night after night. These aren’t the only cocktail bars in Barcelona, or necessarily the most famous, but for timeless classic concoctions this is where you might start.
Despite being the big city in the heart of Catalunya, a major wine-producing region itself with 12 separate DOs, Barcelona has traditionally reserved the good wines for restaurants and boutique wine stores. The scene is changing, slowly.
Restaurants
The two most important things when visiting wine country are good wine and good food. In Rioja the confluence of local and regional ingredients and refined cooking techniques trickling in from the nearby Basque Country has created a culinary landscape that matches the depth of the local wine culture.
