Day 4 (Part 1): Bodegas Muga

I awake on day 4 of our journey in the medieval town of Laguardia, staying at cozy Hotel Villa de Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa.  Laguardia’s origins date back to the 10^th century and the walls built around the town in the 13^th century to protect its inhabitants still stand.  At that time, it stood as a sentinel outpost for the Kingdom of Navarra.  Today it is part of the autonomous Basque community in northern Spain.  I visited Laguardia with its charming meandering alleyways last year too, when I had the privilege to tour one of the few remaining wineries still located within the town’s fortified walls, Bodegas Casa Primicia.  This winery also has the distinction of residing in Laguardia’s oldest civil building.  I also recall their wines as being structured like Laguardia’s hallmark fortifications: big, well made, firmly tannic, and built for the long haul.

Later in the morning, our group boards the bus as we backtrack west across the Ebro River into Rioja Alta for an appointment with Juan Muga of Bodegas Muga.  Bodegas Muga is located in the town of Haro, famous for its annual Haro Wine Festival where every June locals douse each other with buckets of local wine in honor of patron saint San Pedro. 

We arrive at the bodega before noon and after a few handshakes and brief introductions by Jorge Ordonez and Señor Muga, we’re treated to a complete tour of the entire winery including their very own barrel cooperage facility.  Most wineries are content to custom order their wine barrels from other places, but Muga prefers to have complete control of all aspects of production themselves, including coopering and toasting their own wine barrels.

The winery is also abuzz with activity everywhere: the winemaking team is busy racking Rioja Reserva the old-fashioned way (manually, barrel by barrel!) in the cellar.  The bottling line is also fully engaged too as other employees are disgorging, bottling and packaging the winery’s Rosado.   

Our visit culminates in a wine sampling with Juan Muga.  Tapas is served on the veranda with glasses of dry Rosado and also some Cava Conde de Haro (Muga makes one that’s 100% Macabeo, a rarity).  We’re also thrilled to be joined by winery patriarch Isaac Muga as we finish our wine tasting over a terrific lunch.  Muga’s Rioja Blanco (a blend of Viura and Malvasia) is served first, followed by the current releases of Muga’s stellar reds: Rioja Reserva, Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Torre Muga and Muga Aro. 

Fantastic!

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida