Basque Wine Highlights

I don't drink wine, but I keep reading about La Rioja. It abuts the Alava section of the Basque Country, and there's a wine-producing area in the Basque Country itself called La Rioja Alavese. Vitoria (Gasteiz in Basque) is the capital of Alava. It has a nice old town called--I'm not making this up--"the medieval almond" because of its shape on the map. The other main tourist draw in the area is the hill-town of Laguardia (Guardia in Basque). Laguardia is actually closer to Logrono. Both Vitoria and Laguardia are very nice.

Sorry that I can't suggest the best base for visiting the wineries or provide information on the latter. The area is lovely--hilly and green. Weather tends to be cool and wet, at least in mid-June. An umbrella and waterproof jacket are recommended.

When in Rome...or San Sebastián, you've got to try Txakoli, the fizzy white wine of the region. Great with pintxos! Here's a link With more info about Basque wines.

In Donostia/San Sebastian, and the north of the Basque Country the wine is Txakoli. But in that area, cider is very popular. If you are going to be in Gipuzkoa instead of a winery, the best would be to have a meal in a sidreria (Cider bars).

The furthest point from Donostia, in the Basque Country, would be the Rioja Alavesa. This is the southern part of the Alava area. Most of the wines, mostly red, grown here are included in the Rioja Denomination of Control.
The best place to stay in the Basque Country in the Rioja DOC would be Laguardia.