WINE TOURISM IN RIOJA ALTA

If you are looking for a unique experience in September, the Rioja Alta Wine Route offers you the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the essence of wine tourism. With the grape harvest beginning and the landscapes constantly changing their colour, this month is ideal for exploring wine traditions and enjoying a destination that combines nature, culture and gastronomy in an unbeatable way. Moreover, if we look at the thermometers, September is also a perfect month to enjoy wine tourism on the Rioja Alta Wine Route, with very pleasant average temperatures of around 18-20°C, ideal for exploring vineyards and taking part in the numerous activities the region has to offer. September is synonymous with the start of the grape harvest in the Rioja Alta, and many wineries open their doors for you to live this unique experience first hand. Imagine starting the day picking grapes, as has been done for centuries, and then taking part in the winemaking process. From the harvest to the traditional crushing of the grapes, each step is an immersion in wine culture. These activities will allow you to learn about the grape harvest process and connect with the traditions of the region. For those looking […]

The Rioja Alta Wine Route offers not only spectacular scenery and world-renowned wines, but also a variety of accommodation to suit the needs of all travellers. Whether you’re thinking of a romantic getaway, a family holiday, an adventure with friends or simply a solo retreat, you’ll find the perfect place to stay this summer. What’s more, all our accommodations share a commitment to sustainable tourism, ensuring an authentic and responsible experience. Discover the charm of this region and live an authentic and sustainable wine tourism experience. Romantic getaways Imagine waking up in a room with views of the vineyards, enjoying a private wine tasting or relaxing in a luxury spa… If you are looking for an intimate and romantic getaway for two, the Rioja Alta Wine Route offers a selection of accommodation that will make your stay unforgettable. From cosy boutique hotels in historic buildings to charming rural houses surrounded by vineyards, each place offers a warm and exclusive atmosphere. Family holidays If you are travelling with children, don’t worry, there are also perfect options for families. Many of our accommodations have facilities and activities designed for the little ones. Spacious cottages, well-equipped flats and family hotels ensure that everyone, […]

The Great Wine Capitals – Global Network announces the launch of a new edition of the International Research Project to promote excellence and innovation in wine tourism research that addresses industry needs. Two grants of € 7.500 each will be awarded to two applicants who will offer the best academic research with significant practical implications in this area. The goal of the Grant is to support research that delivers practical insight to the wine tourism sector in the GWC regions, while also advancing academic knowledge on this topic. In addition to receiving the Grant, the Recipients will have the opportunity to present their work at the GWC Annual General Meeting. The Grant The Grant is open to students (e.g., Undergraduate or Postgraduate) and early-career researchers (e.g., 5 years from the obtainment of a Ph.D. title) who are undertaking research in the broad subject area of wine tourism with direct relevance to at least one of the Great Wine Capitals. An international jury selects two research projects as Recipients of the Research Project Grant. The Grant Recipients are given the opportunity to present the results of their Project to the GWC General Assembly during the GWC Annual General Meeting (AGM). The […]

The Rioja Alta Wine Route, and especially its restaurants and gastronomic venues, are in luck. The prestigious National Geographic magazine has just named it “Best Gastronomic Route in Spain” in the II National Geographic Travel Readers’ Choice Awards 2024, an award given to the best destinations, hotels, projects and airlines in the world. The Rioja Alta Wine Route was one of the 75 finalist destinations in the 15 established categories. In the “Best Gastronomic Route in Spain” category, Rioja Alta Wine Route competed against four other outstanding proposals such as Somontano Wine, the Manchego Cheese, Dénia Red Prawn and Garrigues Olive Oil routes. Finally, it was the readers of the magazine, the largest community of Spanish-speaking travellers on the planet, who chose the winners in each category by means of a vote that ended on 11 February. Thus, Ruta del Vino Rioja Alta has been the wine region most loved by the magazine’s readers. “When it comes to wine, there are many Denominations of Origin in Spain and also many routes around their wines. However, one of the most complete is undoubtedly the Rioja Alta Wine Route, which some experts talk about as one of the richest wine regions in […]

If you come to La Rioja for a few days, a visit to the underground caverns that populate the bowels of our territory will be an experience you will not forget. Passages and caves perforate the subsoil. Almost magical places that enclose centuries of history within their walls and that dozens of generations of Riojan people have used to make and store wine. Fortunately, many of these ‘calados’ or ‘calaos’, as we say around here, have survived intact to the present day so that you can get to know them. There are documents that prove their existence since at least the 16th century, anonymous architects who built the caves by hand to keep the wine fresh. And why so? The answer is simple: the caves have very stable temperatures and humidity levels throughout the year, and there is no sunlight here, which benefits the ageing of the wine. A centuries-old heritage excavated in the rock that can still be visited in many wineries, restaurants and even accommodation on the Rioja Alta Wine Route. Throughout La Rioja there are more than 2,500 catalogued underground cellars in 128 districts spread over 89 municipalities. These ‘Barrios de Bodegas’ are urban elements usually separated […]

The long weekend in December is the perfect time to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city, discover new destinations and get your strength back before Christmas. Now that the holidays are over, we take stock and are pleased to see that our region is in excellent health in terms of tourism. According to the Directorate General of Tourism of the Government of La Rioja, in statements to Cadena Ser, these holidays have been close to full, with between 80-90% occupancy in accommodation in La Rioja. Very positive figures throughout the territory, and even more so in the case of our partners of the Rioja Alta Wine Route. As they tell us, they have exceeded 90%, reaching 100% occupancy in some cases. Practically all of them corresponded to national tourism and were from Madrid, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Basque Country, Galicia, Extremadura, Andalusia? Visits to wineries have also been in great demand over the long weekend in December, with many of the tours reaching full capacity. It also points to an improvement compared to last year’s data 2022, an increase that translates both in number of visitors, income obtained and number of visits made. In response […]

Our region has been crowned the country’s leading wine tourism destination by 2022. Wine tourism creates jobs, preserves heritage, maintains the population and fights against depopulation. Accommodation, restaurants, wineries, museums, wine cellars, leisure and active tourism companies, transport, incoming agencies… under the umbrella of the Rioja Alta Wine Route there are around 130 companies in the wine tourism sector that operate in small towns in Rioja Alta. Several of these companies took part in a meeting with some thirty journalists and specialists in gastronomy and tourism, held last week in Madrid. The aim: to convey the concept of sustainability in each of their businesses and areas of activity. It was a passionate debate in which different points of view were expressed about sustainability and the current situation of the wine tourism sector as a driver of social development and job creation. Thus, as Juan Carlos Sancha, oenologist, viticulturist and renowned professor of oenology, pointed out, “there is nothing more sustainable than a vineyard living more than 100 years. Sustainability begins by respecting our inherited viticultural heritage; therefore, it is necessary to recover and preserve our minority native varieties”. For her part, Victoria González, Chief Sustainability Officer at González Byass, stressed […]

Festivals, events, adventure, open air… Summer is synonymous with freedom. It means having more time to travel, to meet friends, to be with your partner… in a word, to live life. And you know what? our members of the Rioja Alta Wine Route are experts in making it happen for you. If you are thinking of coming to Rioja Alta this summer, we recommend that you take a look at our events calendar first, as you will find some very attractive events here: tastings in special places, such as a castle, a wine cellar or under the stars; concerts and festivals in wineries, such as the popular MUWI; internationally renowned festivals and traditions, such as the Haro Wine Battle or the Clarete Wine Battle in San Asensio, are just some of them. But there is even more, because the Rioja Alta Wine Route is also a destination for learning with the family. For example, to discover the world of beekeeping in a “Bee Sanctuary” dressed as a real beekeeper, to decipher the night skies in stargazing in wineries, to investigate pottery and ceramics in a landmark town like Navarrete or to discover the Romanesque Rioja on a route at the […]

We will never tire of repeating it: the Rioja Alta Wine Route is a destination that can be enjoyed in a thousand and one ways throughout the year. You can come for a gastronomic getaway, to explore its culture and heritage or, as we are going to show you below: to put on your mountain shoes and discover its natural wealth. With the Obarenes Mountains as the protagonists, and coinciding with the celebration of World Forest Day, we inaugurate the first of this series through the nature of the Rioja Alta Wine Route. With an average altitude of between 800 and 900 metres, this mountain range is approximately 30 kilometres long and stretches from the Ebro gorges, in Sobrón (Burgos and Álava), to the Conchas de Haro, where the river Ebro separates it from the Cantabria mountain range. It is here, in the far northwest of La Rioja and along several municipalities of the Rioja Alta, such as Foncea, Cellorigo, Galbárruli, Sajazarra, Villalba de Rioja and Haro, where we find the rugged silhouettes of the Obarenes Mountains. An invitation to “get lost” by walking along its well-signposted paths and finding along the way old vineyard guards or cave wine presses […]

If you still think that you need good weather to travel, it is because you have not yet come to the Rioja Alta Wine Route in winter. This time of year is perfect for fun and surprising activities and, of course, for tasting the typical dishes of our land that will warm you up. In this article, we are going to show you some examples of what you can do. But you will find many more in the ‘Experiences’ section of our website and always close to you. We start with the Wine Trails, a total of 16 routes that allow you to get to know the vineyards and the landscape, the views to the north and south of La Rioja, with the Sierra de la Demanda, as well as the towns and villages with history that you will find along the way. There are routes of varying difficulty to suit people of all ages and can be done on foot or by bicycle. If you opt for the latter option and are looking for an excuse to make one of the first outings of the year, we recommend you take a look at the post on our blog: Discover […]

The Association for the Development of La Rioja Alta (ADRA), the managing body of the Rioja Alta Wine Route, has launched ‘Extra’, a technological R&D project in augmented reality, which seeks to improve the tourist experiences of visitors. The Riojan companies involved in its development are: Grupo Osaba URK, WAF Estructuras Digitales, Ingeniería e Innovación and Dewenir Desarrollo Software. The project will be deployed in Bodegas Lecea, in San Asensio, with a well-known wine tourism profile, and in the interpretation centre of the recently recovered flour factory La Gloria, in San Millán de la Cogolla, a current emblem of industrial tourism in La Rioja. Augmented reality offers interactive experiences to the user based on the combination of the virtual and physical dimensions, with the use of digital devices. Thus, the planned actions include the dramatisation of everyday scenes of traditional activity, stills or texts, which will be projected between real and augmented vision, on the same plane, to enrich and enhance the user’s experience during the visit. To this end, it will be necessary to equip the facilities with top-level technological infrastructures to complete the experience. In short, the aim of this project is to improve the competitiveness of these […]

WineTourism.com, an online platform dedicated to wine tourism worldwide, has published an extensive report on the Rioja Alta Wine Route, which it describes as “one of the most excellent wine routes in Spain”. Based in Suece, this digital platform connects wine tourists with wineries all over the world -currently more than 3,000 are referenced-, fourteen of which belong to the Rioja Alta Wine Route. In its article, WineTourism.com points out that “The Rioja Alta Wine Route is for people who want to experience the best Spanish wines, immerse themselves in the picturesque beauty of the Spanish landscape and sample the local gastronomic delights”. In addition to its landscapes, historical and artistic importance, the platform highlights the 15 hiking routes scattered throughout the territory, and some of its most popular festivals and traditions, such as the Batalla del Clarete, in San Asensio; the Noches de San Lorenzo or the Batalla del Vino, in Haro. “A wine tour can last from a few days to several weeks and include a variety of activities such as vineyard visits, tastings, visits to wineries and historic cellars and traditional restaurants where you can meet the winemakers in person. In addition, you can learn about culture […]

When we think of a getaway or a wine tourism trip, images of wineries, vineyards, tastings come to mind… But on the Rioja Alta Wine Route there is also room for art. That is why, on this International Museum Day, we would like to take a look at the exhibition spaces you will find in our different towns and villages. Let’s start with the best known internationally: the Museum of Wine Culture of the Vivanco Foundation, in Briones. Opened in 2004, this museum is considered one of the best in the world. In this complex, made up of the museum itself and the winery, we find the history and culture of wine, a product associated with mythology and religion, with a strong social presence and whose production requires, from the vineyard to the winery, work that captures the essence of traditional tasks. The Vivanco Museum occupies an area of four thousand square metres, with five permanent exhibition rooms that house the collections that the Vivanco family has acquired over the years: from vessels dating back centuries, presses, great works of art (Picasso, Sorolla, Juan Gris, Chillida, Barceló, Genovés, etc.) or audiovisuals where you can discover everything about the history and […]

Thinking about your next destination for Easter? If you are looking for a place that breathes history, nature, friendliness… A place where you can forget the rush, taste real gastronomy and the most famous wines in the whole world, you need look no further because you have just found it: it is the Rioja Alta Wine Route. And the best news, it’s “Near You”. Here you will be able to live experiences that you can’t even imagine, by land, air and? river. Visit centenary cellars housed in the bowels of a winery; fly over the vineyards in a hot-air balloon or go canoeing on the Ebro are just some of them, but there are dozens more. With your friends, with your family, as a couple… We have activities to suit your interests and your budget. So much so that our route has been chosen as one of the most important in the world by the publication The Wine Routes of The World. There are many reasons to take a trip, but few places are going to offer all of them. On the Rioja Alta Wine Route we have compiled some of the most important ones, christening them the ‘Siete Miradas’ […]

The wine tourism brochures “Siete Miradas por el territorio centenario del vino”, published by La Ruta del Vino Rioja Alta, have just won one of the ‘Gourmand Awards’, international awards that recognise the best publications on food and wine in the world. Awarded by the prestigious institution Gourmand International, these awards are divided into different groups and categories. The one awarded to the Rioja Alta Wine Route is part of the “Best in the world. Drink Culture” and, specifically, in the Wine Tourism category. The award-winning brochures “Siete Miradas por el territorio centenario del vino” (Seven glances through the centenary wine territory) offer information on the main tourist attractions that can be found in the municipalities of the Rioja Alta Wine Route, and they do so in a visually attractive way, with practical and very didactic information. These seven views lead us along seven different itineraries: ‘The wine route’, through the most outstanding wineries, wine cellars, wine cellars, museums or wine-related festivals; ‘The route of the ashlars’, through the ancestral homes that have witnessed the passage of time since the 16th century; ‘Small monumental paradises’, to discover the castles, bridges, walls and fortresses, as well as their historical vicissitudes; ‘Between […]

The beginning of autumn marks the start of the most beautiful time of the year on the Rioja Alta Wine Route. When we say that our landscapes are like no other, we are not exaggerating. Those who have visited us can confirm that our land shines in all its splendour with colours, aromas and flavours that you will remember forever. The grape harvest is now the star event and many of our wineries and partner companies offer you activities to enjoy it and get to know it in this unique setting. That’s why we encourage you to come and visit us at this special time of the year, in the middle of the grape harvest and with a wonderful landscape that changes day after day. Colours that go from green, to reddish, to ochre… and that will remain engraved in your memory forever thanks to the wine tourism activities that you can share with friends, family or as a couple. And always close to you. Cutting the grapes, visiting the vineyards, having lunch in them or even treading the harvested fruit in the traditional way, with your feet, are just some of the proposals that our partner wineries are offering […]

On Tuesday 28 September, the first of the “Encounters with the Rioja Alta Wine Route” was held at the Centro Riojano in Madrid. Attendees were able to discover why Rioja Alta is the perfect destination to disconnect, savour and enjoy with all five senses all the wonders of an ancient territory. The event began with the presentation of the Rioja Alta Wine Route by Mr. Félix Caperos, Mayor of Casalarreina, Member of the Parliament of La Rioja and Secretary of ADRA (Association for the Development of the Rioja Alta). He opened the event and invited everyone to live and feel Rioja Alta. After him, the Riojan writer, trainer and lecturer Andrés Pascual told a storytelling-style account of all the charms of La Rioja, such as unusual places to discover, hidden routes and authentic and unmissable experiences: “On the Rioja Alta Wine Route, travellers are immersed in a wine culture that permeates everything else. Because in the Rioja Alta wine is not only drunk; wine is lived. It is part of the great celebrations, but also of the small everyday ceremonies of everyday life. Because, in the end, that is what living is all about: celebrating every moment. Every meal in […]

With the aim of attracting new visitors from the south of France, the Rioja Alta Wine Route has launched new marketing channels aimed at this market, which is of great interest to the region and its member companies. These actions are part of the project “Support for tourism marketing in local international markets” on which the Rioja Alta Wine Route has been working for months. As a result of this work, a website www.routedesvinsrioja.fr has been created where French tourists can consult the options offered by the Rioja region for their holidays: routes, wineries, accommodation, restaurants, heritage… and, therefore, help them to make the final decision on their trip to the Rioja Alta Wine Route. This website is very visual and presents very attractive images to awaken your desire to travel to La Rioja. It also includes practical information on its location, how to get there, wine tourism, gastronomic, nature and cultural resources, as well as all the services provided by the Route’s partner companies: wineries, accommodation, restaurants, active leisure and other complementary services. In addition to this website www.routedesvinsrioja.fr, specific profiles have also been created on the social networks Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which will be fed with content […]

Our culture, our gastronomy and our villages had their place at the recently concluded FITUR fair. Thus, the quality wine tourism that we promote from the Rioja Alta Wine Route deserved the attention of hundreds of visitors who passed by the La Rioja stand during the five days of the fair. And they were not few in number, as the Rioja stand was one of the most visited, both among tourism professionals and the general public, when it received the award for “Best Stand at FITUR 2021”. Thanks to the broadcasting of four short audiovisuals, the Rioja Alta Wine Route displayed its charms at FITUR 2021 and aroused the curiosity of those who approached the stand, showing itself, as our slogan ‘Close to you’ says, as a close, safe and accessible destination. The audiovisual screens at the Riojan stand showed these videos, each of them aimed at attracting a different type of visitor: family tourism, couples, senior citizens and groups. Travelling with the family on the Rioja Alta Wine Route: The Rioja Alta area is the perfect destination to disconnect, savour, enjoy and lose yourself in nature. A territory for those who wish to approach the world of wine tourism […]

Easter Week 2021 will always be remembered for the influx of visitors from La Rioja who have become ambassadors of their own land. During the last few holidays, dozens of people have come to the municipalities of the Rioja Alta Wine Route attracted by the quality and quantity of their wine tourism proposals. The desire to enjoy was palpable in the air, and the good weather has been with us every day, allowing us to carry out all the activities, both outdoors and indoors. Such has been the success of the event that many people have been left without places in some of the most popular ones. If this is your case, or if you want to come back, you should know that the Rioja Alta Wine Route is now in full swing and, as always, close to you. Every weekend you’ll find some great ideas for things to do in our wineries, vineyards, cellars, restaurants… However you come: with your family, as a couple, with friends or on your own, all you have to do is consult our events calendar to find the one that fits your desires like a glove. You can even plan your own getaway and […]

With spring just around the corner, and the newly-opened freedom to move between Rioja towns, it’s time to explore our region. How about a stroll along the Rioja Alta Wine Route? Without going any further, this weekend could be the ideal time to visit some of our wineries; to get to know in depth some of our 77 member municipalities and to enjoy a delicious aperitif or eat in our bars and restaurants. Not only do they need you, you are also crying out to enjoy life. At La Ruta del Vino Rioja Alta we have everything ready for you to do so with the utmost safety. All our members comply with strict anti-COVID-19 measures, which involve restricted seating and strict hygiene and safety protocols. To forget about everything and get your strength back, you can spend a weekend in one of our accommodations: from hotels with jacuzzi, perfect for couples, to flats ideal for families with children. Whoever you come with, at La Ruta del Vino Rioja Alta you’re guaranteed to have fun for everyone. Because here we offer you a wide range of activities. Walking along millenary Roman roads, immersing yourself in cave wine presses, visiting the centenary […]

How do you imagine La Rioja Alta in the year 2040? With this image in mind and this question in the air, several of our partners of the Rioja Alta Wine Route participated in an online workshop aimed at gathering suggestions and ideas to improve the territory in 20 years’ time. This action, organised by the Association for the Development of La Rioja Alta (ADRA) and included in the European project “Long-term vision for rural areas”, was attended by some twenty representatives of municipalities, associations and private companies. They were all asked the same questions: What would you like your territory to be like in 20 years’ time; what aspirations do you consider most significant in terms of scope and impact; what are the most significant gaps; where is the greatest potential; and what are the paths and actions needed to make our vision a reality? Starting from personal aspirations, the current situation of the territory and existing global trends, for two hours participants responded, debated and, most importantly, contributed to building a shared future together. The workshop was attended by: Felix Caperos, Casalarreina Town Council. Eric Van den Ackerveken, City Council of Cenicero Mila Díez, FADEMUR Daniel Osés, Riojan […]

The Management Committee of the Wine Routes of Spain has met to analyse the actions carried out during 2020 and to design the best work strategy for 2021, a year in which the entire tourism sector hopes to regain momentum. Among these promotional actions for next year, those related to internationalisation stand out, based on the agreements and action plans that ACEVIN and Wine Routes of Spain have been developing for years with the Secretary of State for Tourism and TURESPAÑA. During 2021, different Wine Routes will host press and tour operator trips, organised in collaboration with the Spanish Tourism Offices around the world. In this way, the international projection of our wine destinations will continue to be strengthened by supporting the promotion and marketing of the Wine Routes of Spain. The United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are the priority markets, although others such as Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, Portugal and the Scandinavian countries are also being considered. In the balance of 2020, the data on wine tourism in our country collected by the Tourism Observatory of the Wine Routes of Spain have continued to show the growing interest of travellers in wine tourism, although […]

This holiday season you can come to visit one of our wineries, take a walk through our villages, take the vermouth in any of our bars and enjoy a delicious meal in our restaurants. You can even treat yourself much more and spend these holidays in any of our accommodations: hotels with jacuzzi perfect for couples, apartments for families, cottages for groups of friends… Come with whoever you come to, in The Rioja Alta Wine Route you will have guaranteed fun adapted to each audience. And also security, since all our partners respond to demanding anti-COVID-19 protocols. We encourage you to check out our “Agenda” section to check the scheduled activities for this holiday season. Or browse our website and plan your own route: walk between castles, medieval bridges, charming villages. And everything, very Close to you.

The Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVÍN) has recognized Lecea Winery with the 5th National Wine Tourism Award ‘Spanish Wine Routes. Specifically, our partner has been awarded in the category ‘Protection and Enhancement of Heritage’. This award recognises the actions carried out by tourist or enotourist companies and establishments aimed at the protection, conservation and recovery of the heritage (cultural, natural, industrial, wine, intangible…) for its tourist use. In its decision, the jury highlighted “the work of Bodegas Lecea for the conservation of the historical heritage through recovery of an old 16th century winery located in the historical district of Las Cuevas, in San Asensio, and its adaptation to wine tourism. For the enhancement of traditional architecture and intangible heritage, showing the traditional methods of production in tourist visits and through the popular meeting of the Grape Treading Festival”. The ‘Spanish Wine Routes’ Wine Tourism Awards are an initiative of a biennial nature, which publicly recognises the work of companies and territories in the continuous development and enrichment of the enotourist offer of our country and the effort developed for this purpose. In this edition 75 proposals have been presented, from candidates of 19 of the 31 Wine Routes that integrate the brand Rutas del Vino de […]

No plans in sight for this bridge? The Rioja Alta Wine Route offers you a wide range of activities to enjoy the most beautiful time of year in La Rioja. Always Close to You, we encourage you to come and enjoy with your friends, family, partner or as you wish an unparalleled environment. A very special time of year to visit this land, in the middle of the grape harvest and with a wonderful landscape that changes its colour every day. Taking a quad ride through the vineyards, visiting the hundred-year-old vines from which the great wines of Rioja are made or contemplating their stunning landscapes are just a few, but there are many more. Restricted seating, outdoor activities and strict anti-COVID-19 hygiene and safety protocols to guarantee the safety of wine tourists who come to the Rioja Alta Wine Route this autumn. GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE IN HOSPEDERIA TEATRISSO This Saturday, and for every Saturday in the fall, Hospederia TeatrissoThe “Experiencia Teatrissera”, in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, invites you to its “Dramatic Experience”. It begins with a guided visit to the Palacete, followed by a wine tasting and ends with a Riojan snack-dinner with the flavours of the autumn garden. An experience […]