Spain is known for its excellent wines, and La Rioja produces some of the best. Visitors can visit the famous bodegas (wineries), taste local wines and learn about the history and culture of winemaking in Spain.
The wine regions of Rioja is one of Spain’s most famous and renowned wine regions, and both give visitors a unique and intense wine experience. The Rioja region of Spain is well-known for its red wines, which are primarily made from the Tempranillo grape. Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, and Rioja Alavesa are the three divisions of the region. Each has its own microclimate and soil characteristics that determine the distinct taste of the wines. Visitors to the region can visit wineries and vineyards, learn about the history of winemaking in Rioja and sample some of the region’s most famous wines, including the full-bodied and complex Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva.
Rioja offers a unique and immersive range of wine tastings, from small family-run wineries to large commercial operations. Each bodega is a world of history and culture in itself. Some offer guided tours of their facilities such as barrel rooms, cellars and tasting rooms, and some even offer accommodation and restaurants. Among the unmissable addresses is the stunning and unmistakable Bodega Marqués de Riscal in the village of Álava, whose roof is dominated by the work of Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao and Bodega López de Heredia Viña Tondonia, a family-owned business producing wine in La Rioja since 1877 and known for its traditional winemaking methods and long-aged wines.
Overall, a visit to the Rioja wine regions is an excellent way to experience in depth the culture and history of wine-making in Spain, and to sample some of the country’s most famous and fine wines.