Camino del vino. Part 1 Navarra
Camino del vino: Walking the Camino is not only a religious, sportive or spiritual experience, it is also a good opportunity to get acquainted with Spain in terms of food and drinks. Merel has a passion for wine, is a member of a wine society and regularly writes about wine and her preferences. In Albergue Villares de Orbigo, Merel has put together the wine assortiment and this produces fantastic and very affordable wines that we serve to our guests and with which we try to distinguish ourselves.
When you walk the Camino Frances you pass through several wine regions. If you want to go well-informed about wine, read the articles that Merel has written and enjoy all the beauty that Spain and the Camino have to offer. So enjoy your camino del vino!
Part 1: Navarra
South of Pamplona is the wine region of Navarra. Navarra is mainly known for its rozados, but nowadays white and red wines are also produced.
As early as the 11th. century, the wines of Navarre were very popular with the clergy and pilgrims. There was a great demand for these wines and the wine industry flourished. The bodegas offered pilgrims both water and wine for free.
Next to the monastery of Irache you will find bodega Irache where you can still drink free wine at the famous Fuente del vino. In recent years, Navarra has tried very hard to get out of the shadow of its well-known neighbour. In the foreground is Evena, an oenological institute, one of the most progressive and best equipped in all of Europe.
Vintners and producers come from all over to seek advice on all aspects of viticulture and cellaring techniques. Vines are grown free of viruses. This is very important because in 1855 the vineyards were affected by the oídium plague. They had only just found a cure for this fungus when phylloxera struck in the form of grape aphids.
Only 98.6% of all vineyards remained. In the meantime, the French had learned to graft on American rootstocks that the phylloxera had no control over.
See also the other parts. Rioja