Echaurren started as a posthouse and tavern in Ezcaray (La Rioja) at the end of the 19th century but has now turned into a gastronomic conglomerate which encompasses a hotel, two restaurants (Echaurren Tradición and El Portal de Echaurren), a bistrot called El Cuartito, the E-Tapas gastrobar and even a take-away service.
It was the fifth generation, led by brothers Francis and José Félix Paniego, who dealt with the transition towards the 21st century. They received the baton from their mother, Marisa Sánchez, holder of a National Gastronomy Award to the best chef in 1987 and creator of recipes which are part of Rioja's traditional cuisine. Her ham and cheese croquettes are probably the best in Spain.
Francis takes care of the kitchen, skillfully mixing Marisa's tradition with avant-garde dishes such as his pork skin tripe --a great discovery even for those averse to edible viscera. He has plenty of talent and attitude: he received the National Gastronomy Award 25 years after his mother; his restaurant Portal de Echaurren holds two Michelin stars, in addition to the star he also holds as chef at Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Elciego; and he is enjoying the success of Tondeluna, his new restaurant in Logroño which is focused in modern, informal dishes made with seasonal produce.
Being in Rioja, wine has a stellar role at Paniego's restaurants and it is lovingly taken care of by José Félix or Chefe, as his friends call him. His Viticultores (growers) wine list is deeply singular and resembles a book with short stories rather than a traditional menu. Written in impeccable English and Spanish, it delves into the producers' personality, their work at the vineyard and the way they produce their wines. Most of the wine growers featured in the book are based in Rioja DOCa --established names such as Jesús de Madrazo (Contino) or María José López de Heredia but also younger talents such as Roberto Oliván (Tentenublo) or Tom Puyaubert (Exopto).
Producers from other parts of Spain and other European regions also make it onto the list, with pride of place for Champagne and Riesling from the Rhein. Prices vary to suit everyone's pockets and range from white Rioja Urbina Blanco (6,40€) to Viña El Pisón (255€).
José Félix has carefully picked 40 wines for Tondeluna (Muro de Francisco de la Mata, 9, 26001 Logroño. Phone: + 34 941 23 64 25). The Paniegos aim to rotate the wine list on a regular basis, but aware of the difficulty of having them all, they encourage people to bring their own bottles. "We don't charge a corkage fee and we treat BYO wines as if they were ours", says Paniego. An honest attitude which reasserts the quote by Ernest Heminway that prologues the Viticultores list: "Wine is the most civilized thing in the world". Y.O.A.
