People dubbed this place ‘wine paradise’ because, frankly speaking, La Rioja is a paradise for wine lovers. That’s just one reason why, as a full service travel agency in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who specializes in international wine tour planning, we've been keeping tabs on it.
La Rioja’s many castles and cathedrals are all so lovely, with rich history surrounding each of them. And yet, the towns get us excited the most because they perpetually produce full-bodied reds.
The ancient Romans may have been the ones to bring wine into this Spanish region but the tradition of wine-making has persisted ever since. It’s now permanently woven into the culture of La Rioja.
There are more than 600 wineries in this region of Northern Spain. Regardless of how much you love wine, it’s impossible for you to know which wineries will suit your wants the most; there’s just too many of them.
Here’s a workaround to this little issue: Call up the wineries and make inquiries. That way, you can be assured the wineries are exactly what you seek. Besides, the majority of the wineries in La Rioja require a prior appointment, meaning it’s best if you make a reservation in advance. If you don't want to mess with that, we'll do it for you.
Time management is also crucial here. Try not to go overboard by visiting more than 3 wineries each day. Some of the wineries only offer wine tastings, but there are others where you’ll probably end up going on full winery tours.
Yes, there’s public transportation, but no, it’s not wide and isn’t as reliable as you would expect. Make things easier for yourself by renting a car, though you can only do this in any of the large cities of the area: Logroño and Bilbao or Vitoria.
But you’re in La Rioja mainly for wine, aren’t you? You can still have a relaxing time in the car while sipping wine and admiring the towns as the car drives by them. How do you do this? Just hire a chauffeur. This also means you don’t have to worry about drinking and driving, which, obviously, can get you in trouble.
Wine tasting can last you well into the late afternoon, so take time out to have a full lunch. You don’t even have to leave the wineries to do that because most of them offer lunch as well. But if not, restaurants dot La Rioja region so you'll have plenty of places to eat at.
Take Roux Luxury Travel’s advice and include these traditional vineyards in the list of places you plan to visit: Bodegas López de Heredia and Bodegas Muga. These two have been choice favorites for many a vacationers. Ready to check out La Rioja, Spain? We're ready to start planning your entire trip, including wine tours. Why not give us a call and we'll start planning it right now for you?
Topics: wine destinations, vacation, vacation planning, wineries in spain