I couldn't have asked for a better location to write the last Wine Ways: on a sun-bathed veranda, caressed by a soft spring breeze, overlooking the broad, bustling Ramlas, Barcelona's magnificent promenade.
From here I set out a few weeks ago to visit the world-renowned Bodegas Bilbainas, the oldest registered winery still operating in Spain. It's been running continuously since it was established in 1852 in Rioja, near the fabled wine town of Haro. (Holiday note: With Golden Week coming up fast, include both Bilbainas and Haro in your "most wanted" destinations.)
More than 1,000 years after its founding, Haro, one of the first cities in Spain to have electricity, remains unhurried and unharassed. And the wines of Bodegas Bilbainas -- imported to Japan by Mercian -- remain outstanding. Among them is a richly satisfying Gran Reserva, aged two years in cask and at least three years in bottle before being released. Bilbainas also produces Reserva and Criandza, requiring less time in cask and bottle but still excellent.
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