Pilgrims who travel the French Way as it passes through the municipality of Ayegui, in the heart of Navarra, can find the only source of free wine that exists in Spain. It is a tap that supplies 100 liters of young wine per day from Bodegas Irache, a symbol of hospitality that keeps alive the tradition started by the monks of the area who offered shelter, food and wine to walkers.
History tells that the Irache Monastery, already in the 12th century, functioned as a hospital for pilgrims and there the Benedictine monks had their own winery. The wines they made were for personal consumption, but they also used to share them with those who continued on a pilgrimage to Santiago. The winery belonged to the monks until 1891 and then passed into private hands. Therefore, paying homage to these customs and on the occasion of the centenary, in 1991 they inaugurated the tap that has become one of the most unique points of the Camino.
The fountain's hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day of the year and it welcomes its visitors with a sign that says "Pilgrim, if you want to arrive in Santiago with strength and vitality, take a drink of this wine and toast to happiness." According to its owners, its objective is to quench the thirst of walkers for free and that is why they recommend drinking without abuse and in moderate quantities, although they claim to have seen people taking full bottles.
In a stage that can be visited by 150,0000 people a year, drinking directly from the tap or filling a glass has become a ritual that turned the Irache fountain into an almost obligatory meeting place for pilgrims from all over the planet. A modern symbol of the hospitality of the Camino de Santiago, the space has gained international tourist notoriety for offering this wine for free, made up of Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes with about 13.5 degrees of alcohol, which they define as “fresh, smooth and very easy to drink.”
When in doubt, it is worth clarifying that the Irache fountain also has another pipe that emanates drinking water... although we can already imagine which of the two options has more followers.
Health.
FOUNTAIN: DIARY OF SANTIAGO
