Like us, we know you appreciate delicious food and fine wines. There is nothing more relaxing than enjoying a good meal and a glass of your favourite wine at the end of a long working week. It’s the perfect way to unwind. Drinking a good wine delivers a real sense of place and character and brings a little slice of the vineyard into your own home.
First hand experience of La Rioja
Imagine how much more your appreciation would be enhanced if you could experience the sights, sounds and flavours of your favourite wine region first hand. You don’t have to be a diehard wine enthusiast, just a fan! There are dozens of wine tasting holiday packages available, ranging from the commercial tourist treks that whisk you through the terroir on an air-conditioned coach to the more intimate walking holidays that give you the space and time to walk through a wine region, drinking in the atmosphere and sampling the local food as well as tasting the wines.
La Rioja
We think an active holiday for wine buffs is best done at your own pace. For a truly personal holiday, we like companies that offers tailor made packages to the smaller, beautiful and often underappreciated regions of Spain, such as La Rioja for example. Travelling with a small group and an experienced local guide gives you the intimate insight that will improve your appreciation of the wine you drink.
Why La Rioja
The gateway to La Rioja is Bilbao, famous for Frank Gehry’s titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum and the magnificent Mirador de Tolono is less than an hour away with magnificent views across the wine growing region. Drop down into the valley of the Rio Ebro and you’re in the heart of the wine production in La Rioja where you can combine walks through the vineyards with exploring the stunning mountains and valleys and indulging in superb Basque meals at some of the region’s finest restaurants. Riojan cuisine is a unique combination of seafood from the northern coast, meats from the plains to the south and vegetables from the fertile valley of La Rioja itself. Expert chefs and sommeliers serve up dinners known as a “maridage” where each course is accompanied by its own wine selected specifically to complement the flavours of the food.
Visiting traditional wineries in the region can also give you an insight into how much love, care and attention goes into putting that bottle on your table. Muga is one the oldest established wineries in the region and it’s fascinating to see how this Bodega insists on traditional methods, using only oak for all the barrels and casks and retaining their own master coopers on-site. La Rioja offers the perfect active holiday for wine lovers everywhere. You can immerse yourself in the culture and history of the region and experience the lifestyle behind the wines. Packages of varying lengths can be booked, but if nine days walking in the countryside, even if it is to drink some superb wines, sound like too much effort there are shorter weekend options that take in the main attractions and deliver a more intensive, but equally rewarding, experience.
