LARRAINZAR

The story of this winery began over 150 ago when the Larrainzar family acquired an estate in the Navarra region in a town called Ayegui. It was the vision of Miguel Canaleio Larrainzar, a renown local entrepreneur, who had a passion for his land since childhood, and was involved in viticulture and winemaking.

The Navarra region, fascinating and underrated, has been producing wine for centuries. The climate is continental, meaning that it has long, hot and dry summers and cold winters. The Navarra D.O. has five subregions: Baja Montane, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja, Valdizarbe, and Tierra Estella. Each region’s wine is distinctive, and as a result, the wines of have a broad range of styles.

Pago de Larrainzar belongs to the sub region, Tierra Estella, and produces incredible red wines. This subregion is in the western part of Navarra near Basque Country and La Rioja. The winery is not far from the Irache Monastery, at the foot of the Montejurra Mountain, on the infamous route of Camino Santiago.

Today, the winery is still run by the family. Miguel Canaleio, along with his children Miguel Canalejo Lasarte and Irene Canalejo Lasarte are active in the day to day operations. They are also assisted by renowned experts Ignacio de Miguel Poch for enology, and Adolfo Hornos for viticulture. The group is complete with the winery’s enologist, Alberto Alcantarilla Morales. A dream team of wine making and viticulture.

The vineyards at Pago de Larrainzar are planted with Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, from different clones and stocks over the vineyard’s 15 hectares. Controlling the grape yield is important for grape quality, and the family adheres to the most advanced viticulture techniques while respecting the land.

The winery structure is, in itself, a work of art. The winery was designed by the prestigious Navarran architect, Fernando Redón Huici, winner of the 2003 Principe de Viana Award for Arts.

I was lucky enough to talk to Irene Canalejo Lasarte last year.  Her passion and determination that she holds for her family’s winery are quite evident. And it is contagious. You can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. Pago de Larrainzar’s history and tradition are something that Irene holds sacred, as her ancestors have before her.  The wines of Pago de Larrainzar are proof enough of the family's passion.