Each of our traditional bota wineskins is crafted from flawless goat's hide. Each hide is cured with vegetable oils to make it pliable. Then the skin is cut and sewn by hand to make a tight pleating. Next, it is turned inside out and pitch is applied. Very short bristles of hair are left on the leather to hold the pitch for the inside of each bag. This is heated to create a water proof resin that will last for years. Finally, the bota is sewn together by hand and the final touches are added. There are about 40 stages from the time the skin arrives and the wineskin is finished. This is truly one of the finest botas you can buy.
The pitch lining of the traditional bota has a strong taste of its own. Therefore it is necessary to prepare your traditional bota before using it to hold good wine. First, warm it in the sun so that the pitch within will distribute evenly. Next, blow into the mouth of the bota to inflate it and separate the pitch from its sides-- the more you have warmed the pitch the easier it will be to inflate the bota.
Add cold water and set the bota aside to cure. After 24-36 hours, replace the water with inexpensive wine and let it cure for as long as you can. Discard the wine and your bota will be ready to use.
You only have to do this process once if you are going to keep the wine-skin in continual use. If you are going to set it aside for a while, drain out the contents and leave the cover off. You will need to go though the break in process again when you begin to use the bota later.
This procedure is only necessary for the pitch-lined botas, not those lined with latex. Caring for an authentic bota can be a bother, except for the purist. For most people, the latex lining makes life simpler.
Caring for Your Traditional Spanish Bota
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Spain Celebrates Victory Together
Americans have experienced some epic sporting victories over the years, from the “Miracle on Ice” hockey victory over Russia in 1980 to the Dream Team basketball victory in 1992 and the historic Women’s World Cup victory in 1999. And American fans celebrated with parades and parties. But those celebrations pale in comparison to the gatherings in Spain after the 2026 world soccer victory!
In Madrid alone, over 2 million ecstatic fans filled the streets, giving a hero’s welcome to the returning champions. We were astonished to see videos of a vast sea of fans at La Plaza de Cibeles, singing together in one voice, faces glowing with the joy of victory. In a country that often experiences regional tensions, it was incredible to see the entire population coming together with national pride.
Fútbol (soccer) is bordering on a national religion in Spain, with teams participating in intense rivalries between clubs. Some matches are so legendary they even have names, like El Clásico or El Derby. But when the national team played in the big tournament, these rivalries disappeared. On the national team, members of the legendary clubs of La Liga, like FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, played side by side.
We talked with a friend in Valencia who told us the streets were empty during the matches, as families and friends gathered in bars and homes to cheer on La Roja. The crowds shouted in unified passion, bonding with strangers as they celebrated goals or commiserated about bad calls.
We were able to experience some of Spain’s communal joy with a watch party that we organized at the Virginia Beer Company in our hometown of Williamsburg, VA. We shared a free spread of simple tapas with the crowd, from Marcona almonds and picos breadsticks to anchovy stuffed olives and quicos crunchy corn. We even hand-sliced a Jamón Ibérico, with hungry fans devouring the ham faster than we could slice.
The crowd grew to over a hundred people, and we were excited to see a group of a dozen Spanish fans leading the cheers. They were young adults working at Busch Gardens for the summer, and their enthusiasm was infectious. They even inspired the Williamsburg locals to sing “¡OLÉ, OLÉ OLÉ OLÉ!” at full volume. The excellent glasses of beer did not hurt the enthusiasm!
As the final whistle blew in overtime, the entire crowd exploded, led by the Spanish fans. They waved huge red and yellow flags, sang victory songs and literally jumped for joy as a group! One guy ran over and grabbed what was left of the jamón, holding it high in the air like it was a religious icon, then kissed it to celebrate the victory. Another fan grabbed a porrón pitcher that we’d brought and poured a long stream of beer in his mouth. For a moment, it felt like we were at a bar in Madrid or Sevilla, sharing the thrill of victory with the people of Spain.
In life, stereotypes are sometimes positive and real. Spaniards do love jamón with an intensity bordering on obsession. They do come together and connect, creating community wherever they are. It was thrilling to share their passion and excitement; it was an event that we’ll always remember.
¡Hola! I'm Jonathan Harris, one of the owners of La Tienda. I love sharing insights about Spain's amazing food culture. Learn more >
30th Anniversary Spotlight: "Don Don" and His Love of Spain
Our father Don Harris was affectionately called "Don Don" (Mr. Don) by some of our Spanish friends. Such a familiar honorific was so perfect for dad, a man who created so many warm personal bonds with his Spanish friends that he naturally earned their love and respect.
From the day we founded La Tienda 30 years ago, Don valued relationships above all else, more than great food or business success. He was energized by the strong connection he created with our Spanish partners, from Abel Rodriguez, the Cordoban purveyor of Ibérico ham, to Carmen Gutiérrez-Colosía, a generous and welcoming sherry wine maker.
Don loved Spain for its sense of community, a culture where family, and especially children, are treasured. He was by no means a gourmand, preferring simpler pleasures: a great loaf of bread, a slice of tortilla de patatas, and his favorite, a plate of piping hot croquetas de jamón. Don passed peacefully in 2024, but his legacy of welcoming and connection lives on through La Tienda.
Here are a few of Don's very favorite foods from Spain, I hope you enjoy them too!
Jonathan - La Tienda
What Are Real Spanish Tapas?
America is in love with tapas. Or at least the word tapas is used at all kinds of restaurants across the country. In the U.S., this usually means sharing a variety of small plates with fellow diners around a restaurant table so everyone gets to try each dish. While I personally love dining this way, it can be pretty far from the true Spanish tapas tradition.
First of all, tapas are by definition always Spanish food. There is no such thing as Asian or Mexican tapas, just as there is no Spanish sushi or burritos. The world has other great small plates traditions, from Middle Eastern mezze to Chinese dim sum and Italian aperitivo. There's no reason to use the word tapas for these other admittedly delicious styles of eating. Plus, Spain has a wealth of delectable foods, from Galician seafood to Andalucian jamón, and there's no need to add flavors from far afield.
Secondly, tapas is just as much an activity as an eating style. Barcelona and Madrid have streets lined with dozens of tapas bars, each specializing in a particular tapa. My friends and I love stopping by a tapas bar, ordering a drink and enjoying their signature tapa while standing around a tall table. We could order grilled mushrooms topped with shrimp and a small beer in one place, then a pincho moruno pork skewer and a cup of wine in the next, never staying longer than fifteen or twenty minutes at each location. All the while, each of the bars is filled with patrons talking, sharing stories and enjoying each other's company.
This casual camaraderie and connection over tasty bites of food is the third signature of Spanish tapas. Unlike a restaurant meal, a tapas crawl is full of surprises, unexpected flavors and impromptu conversations with friends and strangers along the way. An evening of tapas has a loose informality that encourages new discoveries and shared experiences.
So, enjoy that "tapa" of a Thai spring roll or an Angus slider at a U.S. restaurant. But remember that true Spanish tapas is a whole experience, a time of camaraderie and adventure while enjoying delicious bites of Spain's incredible foods at each stop along the way.
¡Hola! I'm Jonathan Harris, one of the owners of La Tienda. I love sharing insights about Spain's amazing food culture. Learn more >
13 Comments
I haven’t used my bota for a couple of years and it began to leak through the leather when I refilled it. What is the best method for sealing the leak?
Response:
Hola Bryan, Your poor traditional bota bag is pining for more use! I would warm it up on a radiator or such low heat source so that the pine pitch inside begins to soften or melt. It is the original sealant. Then I would blow into it -inflate it - and fill it first with warm water, then colder water, until you get the seal back. Not guaranteed to work but worth a try. If it is too far gone you will need to replace it — and use the new one more often, or flatten it to store it.
Tu amigo
I accidentally left the cap off with the bota inflated after my last use. The pitch seems (at least partly) dry. Is there anything I can do to abate the problem?
My brother brought me one of the bags home as a gift. He left it in a plastic bag for three months before finally seeing me and giving me the bag. Inside, the leather had grown a significant amount of mold. The entire bag was covered with it, inside and out. Do you have any idea how we can bring the bag back to life at this point? Or is it completely ruined? Thanks!
Response:
Dear Nick,
No, I don’t think all is lost. I think you can wash off the mold and apply some leather treatment such as Lexall to the exterior. I would fill the interior sac with very warm water. I know it will take time to resuscitate, but at least I think it’s worth the effort, don’t you?
Can it be used for water or wine? I was given one as a present and I’d like to use instead of a water bottle for my hunting trips. But I am concerned that the pitch inside the bag will taint the water.
Response:
I presume you are referring to the authentic bota sealed with pitch. Of course it can be used for wine, but I would fill it several times with cheap wine in order to absorb the pitch flavor. For water in the bota I would do the same — but soak it several hours each time so that the water will absorb more of the pitch aroma. If you are patient I think you will have an acceptable water “canteen” of sorts.
Hello. Will be in Pamplona for the festival next week. Where are you located so I can pick up an authentic Bota? Thank you.
Response:
I am sure you had a memorable time in Pamplona. Sorry not to get back to you until now. We at La Tienda have truly authentic botas which we have imported from Spain — either the one sealed with pitch or the one with a water tight bladder.