Tierra y Vino: the restaurant of the Palacio de Samaniego hotel is the perfect place to bring together the pleasures of the Rioja Alavesa region
Tierra y Vino: the restaurant of the Palacio de Samaniego hotel is the perfect place to bring together the pleasures of the Rioja Alavesa region
In the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region is Palacio de Samaniego, a luxury hotel owned by the Rothschild family whose restaurant, Tierra y Vino, has become a culinary beacon. The restaurant is located on the main floor of the palace, built in the eighteenth century at the request of a figure in the church, and it consists of an indoor dining room and a beautiful garden terrace presided over by a waterfall.
Its chef, Bruno Coelho, has designed a menu that feeds on the local repertoire, featuring a careful selection of dishes and a tasting menu that changes each season: local specialties which have been reinterpreted with boldness and precision through a type of cuisine that brings together Basque and French gastronomy, keeping alive a sophisticated and constantly evolving menu which is nourished by local ingredients. The bivalves in almond pil-pil sauce and caviar, the oysters with pumpkin and tomato cream, the quail and trout carpaccio, the roe deer with cantharellus and Jerusalem artichoke, the black lentils with sea ear and baby squid, and the pear with chocolate and vanilla are some of Coelho’s delicate creations: Iberian and Basque specialties revisited with respect for French techniques; “savoir-faire” at the service of gastronomy, whose common thread pays homage to the essence of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage.
Apart from the impeccable gastronomic menu, Tierra y Vino also boasts an exceptional wine list that includes, in addition to the best labels from the Rioja Alavesa region, great wines from wineries owned by the Rothschild family, among others, bottles by Château Clarke of France, Flechas de los Andes of Argentina, Rimapere of New Zealand, Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons of South Africa, and –of course– Macán of the Rioja Alavesa region. The Rothschild family owns this renowned winery, located just a few minutes from the restaurant. Coming into existence in 2004 as a result of a partnership between Tempos Vega Sicilia and the Baron Edmond de Rothschild Wine Company, Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia produced its first wines, Macán and Macán Clásico, in 2013, offering a modern and unique take on wines from the Rioja region by following the Bordeaux model of first and second wines. The Macán wine is the flagship of the winery: it is finesse, subtlety, and elegance. It is made with a careful selection of grapes from the best plots and ferments in French oak barrels for 10-15 days. It is aged in new barrels for between 16 and 18 months and rests in the bottle for three years before going to the market. Macán Clásico is a wine that is somewhat more attached to the territory: freshness, fruitiness, and delicacy are its hallmarks. It is made in stainless steel tanks, with a part of its malolactic fermentation taking place in oak barrels, and it features barrel aging that ranges between 12 and 14 months depending on the characteristics of the vintage.
Tierra y Vino’s glass-enclosed wine cellar is visible from the restaurant’s own dining room. It is worth noting the exquisite interior decoration of its dining rooms, which harmoniously combine the palace’s original stone structure with designer furniture and works of art brought from all over the world: a collection of vases of different styles and periods (with a large presence of ceramic art and Murano glass), indigenous accessories, sculpture paintings made in paper and aluminum, and recycled wood tables (with a patchwork design) that were custom created by cabinetmaker Mathisse Dalstein. The interior architecture of the palace, the work of LVG Arquitectura and Vila Studio, overcomes the dual challenge of minimizing the ecological impact –placing priority on untreated raw materials and natural fibers– and of finding the right balance between cozy minimalism and pleasant comfort. Wood, leather, and beige and ocher tones echo the surrounding landscapes. This true and intimate atmosphere is the perfect setting to enjoy the combination of haute cuisine and great wines proposed by Tierra y Vino, a restaurant turned top-notch food and wine destination.
Tierra y Vino
Calle Constitución 12, Samaniego.
Tel.: +34 945 660 000
