La Rioja A Journey Through Vineyards and Tradition
Description
Start your day with us on a fascinating journey to the heart of La Rioja, the most famous wine region in Spain, where you will be amazed by a sea of vineyards that stretches as far as the eye can see. Along the way, we invite you to discover the rich wine history of the area. Our first stop will be a unique winery of spectacular vineyards where you will immerse yourself in the process of making wine. And of course, you will enjoy an exquisite tasting of its best wines. Our trip continue with a visit to a traditional winery, excavated under the streets of the village that offers us a unique experience. Finally, we will visit Laguardia. This charming walled town in the Rioja Alavesa, preserves one of the most impressive architectural ensembles in the region. In this tour, you will move to medieval times as you walk through its narrow streets that tell stories of yesteryear. You will have free time to enjoy a lunch in this charming village before returning. (Lunch not included).
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop will be a traditional winery, a place steeped in history, full of charm and character. As you walk through the vineyard, you’ll feel the weight of centuries of winemaking tradition, with stories and secrets embedded in every corner of this historic estate. We’ll take an outdoor tour to explore its rich heritage, followed by an exquisite tasting of their finest wines, allowing you to savor the essence of both the land and the history that has shaped it.
Discover an underground winery where you can learn about the winemaking process up close while savoring the authentic flavors of the region. Explore everything from grape harvest to fermentation and aging, with a focus on carbonic maceration – a unique process where whole grapes ferment in a carbon dioxide-rich environment, creating fruity, fresh wines. During the visit, you'll learn this process and understand its impact on the wine’s quality. Enjoy tastings that highlight the true essence of the terroir, offering a perfect experience for wine lovers and those eager to learn more about the craft.
We will continue our journey with a visit to Laguardia, a true medieval gem. This charming walled village in Rioja Alavesa, whose roots date back centuries, preserves one of the most impressive architectural ensembles in the entire La Rioja region. With our expert guide, you’ll explore the most iconic corners of Laguardia.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The total duration of the tour includes the road travelling times. Check the details.
- The excursions are in Spanish & English. May be operated by a multi-lingual guide.
- The tour will take place rain or shine
- If you are not able to stay with the group's walking pace, we will not be able to wait for you
- The times indicated in the tour are just a reference. They might vary or change
- Please inform the guide at the beginning of the tour if you have any food restrictions
- The seats in the minivan or bus are not assigned
- The order of the places visited might vary at some dates for operative reasons
- Bring your EU ID or a Non-EU passport
- Before boarding in the bus or van, confirm with the guide that your name is on the list.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- No accessible for clients with mobility problems or slow walking
- The pictures included in the presentation of this tour, are just a reference. Please do not take them as exact locations from where we will see the different visits.
- Maximum size of the group could be up to 50 pax but it is usually small groups.
Reviews(7)
Igor was patient, kind and professional. We had a lovely day in the La Rioja region. Highly recommend this tour company and our guide, Igor!
This was an amazing day. The contrast of 2 different winery visits where we learned so much about local winemaking and then a stop in beautiful LaGuardia was fantastic.
We had an amazing day out with our guide Igor. We visited two fantastic winery’s and a lovely medieval hill town with great pintxos bars.
The Rioja wine tour was an opportunity to be in a small group of International travelers, led by a lovely trilingual guide, Borje. He picked us up at a predetermined location, made sure we were clear about safety and gave us a plan in terms of what to expect in our day together. He was passionate and dedicated as were each person representing the two wineries attended. He gave us his background and encouraged questions. It was informative and fun! I can easily recommend this experience to any traveler who wants an authentic, deepening experience into the Basque culture and regional wineries.
It was an excellent decision. I celebrated my birthday a day early, and this was my well-deserved gift. The driver who took us was also a historian — I wish I could remember his name — and during the ride, he told us fascinating stories about the history of Euskadi and Spain. I was completely captivated by all the information he shared. The first vineyard we visited was Finca Emperatriz, in La Rioja. The weather was perfect for walking through the vineyards — we even got to taste the grapes! The girl who guided us gave us plenty of interesting facts about the estate, which was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew and his wife. We tasted wines indoors rather than outside, but I wouldn’t call it a formal tasting, more like a sampling of two wines. The Albariño white wine was absolutely delicious — definitely my favorite. The second stop was in the province of Álava, in Laguardia, at El Fabulista Winery (a place that had already been recommended to me). I enjoyed this one even more — it was lively, fun, and very educational. Our guide was funny yet very knowledgeable. We went down into the cellars, which are over a thousand years old — the walls were naturally cold! We saw the wine barrels, learned how to properly taste wines, understood the meaning of the labels and aging, and sampled three different red wines. Even though my favorite wine was from Finca Emperatriz (because I personally prefer white wines over reds), the experience at El Fabulista was absolutely superb! We ended the tasting with a lovely walk through the historic streets of Laguardia and had a delicious lunch at a charming restaurant in the town’s main square. Without a doubt, an experience worth every penny — I highly, highly recommend it!
Crowded 8 passenger van for such a long trip. Couldn’t hear speaker and she had a Heavy accent required focus to comprehend.
