In Death in the Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway tells us that Pamplona had changed since he had been there as a younger man, but after a drink (we assume more than one) it seemed to go back to the way it always was. Wines from Navarra have also changed over time, but they are returning to their roots, reflecting the character of their vineyards – as Hemingway would put it – as they always were.
To the southwest of Bilbao in Spain’s north, the Navarra region’s capital Pamplona is full of raucous tapas bars and is the setting for San Fermín, the festival that Hemingway famously brought to life. Up in the region’s northeast, Navarra borders France where the Pyrenees form a natural frontier of dramatic, dense forests. Dotted with ancient caves dripping with stalactites, this is home to the witches and wizards of Navarran folklore.
Heading south, through wild mountains under expansive skies, the protected biosphere natural park of Bardenas Reales creates an entirely different scene. Just as Navarra meets Aragón, this
