My goal is to take you to the largest vineyard in the world. Let’s go to magical places in the Rioja Alavesa! Visit the most emblematic wineries, taste the local gastronomy and fill your spirit with the millenary heritage of this land. Let’s stroll through Elciego, Labastida, Moreda, Samaniego, Labraza or Elvillar. Sleep among the barrels, toast with its wonderful wines, and surround yourself with its nature and heritage. Let’s go!
Wineries:
Visit the emblematic Marques de Riscal Winery, besides tasting high quality wines its architecture will leave you speechless. I recommend staying at the hotel, designed by Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry, who also left his mark on the unmissable Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, another visit not to be missed if you have time on your trip.
In Elciego you should also visit the Murua Winery, appreciate the family home, the vineyards and taste some of the most renowned wines in Spain. A careful production marked by the quality and innovation of the processes ensure spectacular wines.
If you want to know what a boutique winery is, visit Ysios! At the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria is this unique proposal, in complete harmony with the surrounding landscape. You will love its avant-garde design and the surrounding vineyards!
The tour continues in another of the best wineries, that of López de Heredia, known worldwide for its “Viña Tondonia” wines. Another of the places I recommend you to visit in the Rioja Alavesa. Years of absolute dedication and care of the vineyards to achieve the authenticity and bouquet that characterizes them.
Spa and Wine Therapy:
And when you have enjoyed the wines of this land as they deserve, I recommend that you also reserve time for the Spa Vinothérapie® Caudalie Marqués de Riscal, pampering your skin with pioneering treatments with grapes.
Heritage:
Monumental and archaeological architecture is part of the landscape in the Rioja Alavesa, so I also recommend you take some time to tour the medieval town of Laguardia, with its defensive walls, intramural alleys, emblazoned houses and its Church of Santa María de los Reyes, which offers a wonderful Gothic portico. Throughout the region you can find many prehistoric, Iron Age and Roman remains.
Adventures, routes among vineyard:
In addition to the impressive cultural legacy, the Rioja Alavesa is a sun-drenched land that offers adventure sports, cycling or hiking routes or horse riding among the vineyards themselves. What more could you ask for, enjoy it!
Hotel Marqués de Riscal,
Hotel Viura
Hotel Palacio de Samaniego
Hospedería Los Parajes
Silken Ciudad de Laguardia
Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Marques de Riscal: Recognized among gourmets with its Michelin star and the innovation and excellence of chef Francis Paniego.
Villa Lucia: It offers in its grill a proposal to enter the land of dreams and fall in love with its enograstronomy.
Amelibia: A family restaurant that offers a gastronomic and sensory experience not only with its dishes, but also in the decoration and atmosphere, where they serve seasonal products from the garden to the table.
Los Parajes: New modern cuisine rooted in local products paired with an extraordinary wine list. An experience for the senses.
Posada Mayor de Migueloa: Pioneers in Spanish wine tourism, offers a space full of history and corners where you can evoke flavors of other times and enjoy the environment, the products of the land and the nobility of the people.
From the Rioja Alavesa it is possible to visit the capital of La Rioja, Logroño, travel the Camino de Santiago, visit the Dinastía Vivanco Wine Culture Museum, the caves of Ortigosa, the ski resort of Valdezcarai, and the historic monasteries of Santo Domingo de la Calzada or San Millán de la Cogolla, cradle of the Castilian language. It is also possible to travel to Bilbao to enjoy its Guggenheim Museum.
