La Rioja
The historic wine region of La Rioja is the most famous wine-producing area in Spain, and a real treat for wine lovers to visit. As a D.O.Ca. wine region the rules governing wine production are very strict and our local experts will guide you through the delicious results of these rules and regulations. There are some truly stunning wineries in La Rioja, many producing world-class wines. The Marques de Riscal hotel and winery shown below is an example of this excellence, as well as being a real work of art.
You will enjoy numerous excesses of tempranillo, of course, as the mainstay of the region but there are other varieties to enjoy along the way. Our La Rioja wine tours will also show you some of the rich history and culture in this lovely wine region. We will visit some picturesque hill-top towns where you will enjoy some local gastronomy to the full.
The winery and hotel at Marques de Riscal in La Rioja is a true work of art
- Get up close and personal at several family-run wineries
- Beautiful architecture and high-quality wine at some Haro big hitters
- Enjoy one of the most beautiful towns in Spain – La Guardia
- Visit some household names of La Rioja wineries, stuff you drink at home
- Get involved with the harvest, treading, and blending – dates very important!
- Olive oil producers can be visited – olive oil tasting sessions
- Enjoy some of La Rioja history, culture, and gastronomy
- Maybe walk off your excesses along the Camino de Santiago
We focus on wineries located in and around the towns of Haro, Logroño, and La Guardia, where some of the biggest names of La Rioja are to be found. We visit a nice blend of boutique, family-run wineries, and also several high investment, new-build household names.
Important: We highly recommend two full days of wineries in La Rioja, it is a large and very important wine region and with one day you get an overview but you are still just scratching the surface, two days are much better and we can add some cultural or historical elements too.
Lets assume you have two days!
If you can come during harvest or fiesta periods our options are extended even further but at any time of the year this is a great place to visit, here is an overview (more detailed info below)
Day 1 | Area around Haro
- Bohedal – family run, comparison barrel tasting and blending
- We choose a couple of wineries from the historic “train station” neighborhood
- Bilbainas, Tondonia, Muga, Roda, CVNE – the list goes on and on
- Haro offers the greatest concentration of 100-year-old wineries in the world
- Tours and premium tastings at big hitters from the Haro area
- Picnics & BBQs, walk the wines, biking, hiking and Segway options
Day 2 | Area around Logroño
- Valentin Pasqual – very old school family run, in-depth visit and tasting
- Contrast the traditional visits with the high investment wineries
- Enjoy the “impact” of places such as Marques de Riscal and Ysios
- Stay overnight in this region, winery-based hotels or village B & Bs
- Walk the narrow streets of one of Spain´s most beautiful towns – La Guardia
The order of visits will reflect what is going on in each winery but as an example, we might visit Bodegas Bohedal first. This is a family-run winery where we will have the chance to meet the owners and winemakers, tour the winery with them (see the photo below) and have them show us how different types of oak show themselves on the nose and palate for the iconic Spanish variety Tempranillo.
Large, well-funded, and high investment wineries are great to visit (we love Bilbanias for example) to witness what is possible in this industry and see how brands you already know arrive on the shelves. But while big hitters such as Roda, Muga, and Marques de Riscal will astound with scale, technology and design we like to counterbalance this with a very “personal” touch at boutique and artisan wineries such as Bohedal and Valentin Pasqual.
At Bohedal we not only see the way wine is made but get the chance to try barrel-type tasting and then blend a glass to your personal taste. This is a chance to try wine during its long La Rioja evolution, and try to imagine what the final product will be like. Of course, we also try the final products which are top-notch.
Bodegas Lopez de Heredia – Viña Tondonia is an absolute gem of a place. The contrast between the old world, traditional winery inside, and the modern, decanter-shaped reception are really striking. This winery is not absolutely committed to letting the public in, they restrict the numbers that can see the moldy old cellars and spider webs. We really love this visit, so make sure you book well in advance to ensure we can program this one in.
A reception area that is shaped like a decanter!
Places like Marques de Riscal and Roda will impress with their superb facilities and grounds. Premium tastings here will help you pick wines you will definitely be looking for when you get home. If you fancy a splurge on a hotel the Marques de Riscal hotel will certainly do the trick, what a design this place has, history, heritage, and cutting edge tech side by side! There are only so many wine-hours in the day and on our Rioja wine tours we will show you all we can. However we are sure you will be back for more another year and next time, as well as programming your visit to coincide with harvesting, there is another highlight you should consider; the Haro wine fight!
If you buy wines during your tours that you want to take home we will help you ship them, many wineries offer this service so ask us during your stay, or beforehand if you wish. For key dates, plenty of advance planning is crucial to secure guides, transport, and hotels – So please contact us early. For other periods during the year, we will have much more choice and flexibility, and there is always plenty going on.
Note: We can program our La Rioja wine tours to blend seamlessly with Ribera del Duero, driving you 90 minutes between these two wine regions. Combining these two areas makes for a complete and comprehensive tasting of tempranillo and a true examination of Spanish terroir.
