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Gastronomy and Wine

Laguardia is a village where the locals live to eat and drink. For such a tiny village, there is an abundance of dining options. The village pertains to La Rioja geographically but to Basque Country politically and culturally. It is one of the most important wine villages in Rioja Alavesa called so because it is also part of the sub-region of "Alava". The cuisine is some of the best in Spain, with roast, milk fed lamb, hake, and a colorful array of vegetable dishes being the main players on the dinner table. Roast artichokes, sautéed spicy roast peppers (Pimientos de Piquillo), Swiss chard stuffed with ham and cheese, white asparagus dressed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, potatoes ("Patatas a la Riojana"), Fava beans with chorizo and wild mushrooms are all quite typical in local dishes. An then the wine..the choices are endless in this part of the world. Even tiny, hole in the wall restaurants have wine lists that look like encyclopaedias. The principal wines available are of course Tempranillo and Mazuelo based reds from la Rioja, Garnacha based rosé wines from neighboring Navarra and Verdejo based white wines from the up-and-coming wine region of Rueda. The white wines from La Rioja, based on the Viura grape, are waning in popularity, although the historic winery of Marques de Murrieta makes a smashing white wine. While not made in the area, the sparkling wine "Cava" is a classic aperitif. After your 6 or 7 course taster menu at any of the local gourmet haunts, a digestif is essential. The most common digestif in La Rioja (as well as Navarra and Basque Country) is Pacharán (Sloe Berry Liqueur)… Not much Spitfire!