Tapas, Tapas, Tapas- adventurous, exhilarating, and palate-rewarding
Robert Morrison, President of Authentic Wine Selections in Oakland, California, arranged this Spanish Trip for wine professionals and consumers. The group included Robert Morrison (Authentic Wine Selections), Lisa Wherry (Wine Professional), Jose Delgado (Wine Professional), Jeff Chandler (Wine Professional), Karissa Dobbs (Consumer), Tracy and Mike Platt (Consumers), Michael and Yoli Niblock (Consumers), Andy Frieden (Wine Professional), Michael Williams (Consumer and grape grower in the Napa Valley), and me (Wine Professional). Our mission was to experience some of the most well-known Spanish wine regions, savor authentic food, and enjoy. This blog is all about tapas!
While little plates are available at every meal opportunity, one never forgets “the Tapas Run.” From Logroño to San Sebastian to Madrid, we went non-stop through some of Spain’s best Tapas Bars. Here is a rundown of our dynamic experiences.
First Stop in Logroño- I didn’t get the name of this place (my colleagues are still returning from across the Atlantic-I’ll get it from them later). We drank the succulent 2018 Edulis de Altanza Rioja Crianza with a meat sandwich reminding of a Bun Mi. The flavors as well as the experience were so good that I practically inhaled it, and the wine proved to be a perfect match. The street was so crowded that I could barely photograph or write notes.
Our next stop was saner as we entered the restaurant, El Muro. Tiny plates were brought out as we continued savoring the wines of Altanza. The dishes included mushrooms and tomatoes, fried breaded whitefish with long green pepper, a pastry with meat (probably pork), topped with a fried egg, red pepper, and lastly an over-the-top outstanding slice of cheesecake. Two stops took care of us for the night as the clock struck midnight.
Though the place was packed, and the space was tight, we were ready
After an arduous albeit fun day of touring the vineyards of Senorio de Otxaran tasting excellent wines and having a long lunch, we finally arrived at San Sebastian. The group split up some needed a break, and some went out for more adventure. I wandered the streets trying to find them. The streets with the best Tapas bars were jammed-packed. I lost most of my posse but located Michael Williams and we ended up one the best places in San Sebastian. José Delgato and his contacts suggested Ganbara. When we approached this tapas bar, the line was long, and the table wait seemed long. We stayed and we were rewarded with an outstanding experience. The staff was focused on efficiency and good service. Though the place was packed, and the space was tight, we were ready. Dishes flowed: sliced tomatoes in olive oil, tiny peppers, pan-fried prawns, sautéed mushrooms topped with an egg, steak and fries, and more. We enjoyed the frisky 2019 Bengoetxe Getariako Txakolina and the nicely textured, firmly built 2015 Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva. Michael tried a third wine to soak up the food.
I needed agua; he was looking for vino and more food. We got all three
After touring the beaches, museums, and churches in San Sebastian, my colleague Andy Frieden and I wandered into Baluarte. I needed agua; he was looking for vino and more food. We got all three. This cool bar on the square was upbeat and frenetic. We enjoyed prawns, calamari, tiny white onions, and olives on a stick as well as a Caesar Salad. Delicious, of course, and excellent with the crisp yet rewarding 2020 Villanueva Rias Baixas Albariño. The servers were efficient, animated, and fun.
La Cuchara de San Telmo is one of Sabastian's coolest tapas bars. I felt like I was dining in a New York subway station. Incredibly crowded with bodies nearly pressed up against each another, this place gets my vote as the most memorable tapas bars of all. Greeted with a glass of the 2021 Rezabal Txakoli, we quickly received plates of Suckling Pig of Leiza, Slow-Roasted with Lager, Boneless and Crispy; Roasted Blood Sausage of Pascal Massonde, Compote of Membrillo Santa Teresa; Veal Cheeks Slow-Braised in Rioja Alavesa Wine. Garbanzo-Garlic Hummus; Cristal Peppers warmed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grey Salt. I don’t recall ever enjoying such a great array of dishes in rapid succession.
I couldn’t believe it; my colleagues were still in search of more. After wandering, we landed at La Taberna dei Picaro. The wine Txomin Etxaniz 2021 Getariako Txakolina was ready with two kinds of coquettes (crab and ham) and an unidentified meat and chips dish. It all worked well. Great and attentive service and a fitting finish for the night.
For my final tapas stop. Michael Williams and ended up at Cerv. Cervantes in Madrid. We left the group early. I needed to attend the Wine & Spirits Top 100 in San Francisco and Attorney Michael was back to business in Los Angeles. At this tapas bar, we had the usual- Croquettes, shrimp, mushrooms, salmon, and red peppers. This was good albeit, a bit of an anti-climax. To all you foodies out there, you have to experience tapas, tapas, tapas, and in Spain (especially in San Sebastian and in the Basque country).
When I first traveled to France in 1986, I learned how lacking rudimentary language skills of French resulted in communication roadblocks. Yet, I managed and, with the help of my bi-lingual group organizers and the use of my broken French language skills, was able to enjoy my travels abroad. While I prepared to make the trip successful business-wise, I could have realized a complete experience if I could have spoken fluently in French. Nearer to home, everyday moments—going to a coffee shop, finding a bar, deciding where to eat—can be ho-hum or adventurous. When I worked in Concord, a city east of San Francisco, my coffee stops were Peet’s and Starbucks. When I joined Wine.com, the company’s corporate offices were deep in San Francisco’s Financial District. There I found coffee shops everywhere, and I expanded my coffee stops.
Travel doesn’t necessarily mean getting on a plane and flying over the ocean; it encompasses taking a step out of your sweet stop and exploring alternatives to the tried-and-true. So please follow my travel blogs, and I may lead you into areas you would have overlooked, and these places could be in your neighborhood.
