The Rioja Alta Wine Route, a world leader in wine tourism

The partner companies of the Rioja Alta Wine Route are triumphing at the international wine tourism events being held this autumn. Their rich and varied offer of activities and personalised experiences, which invites visitors to delve deeper into the culture of wine, is reaping its rewards, and receiving outstanding worldwide recognition.

Specifically, our members have received three awards at the famous 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐚𝐨-𝐑𝐢𝐨𝐣𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐𝟑 Awards, won by Bodegas Beronia, Hotel Santa María Briones and Vintae Wine Festival. To these, we must add the one obtained by Vivanco, which has once again made it to the list of the 50 most amazing wine projects in the world.

Bodegas Beronia: “Best Of – Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices”.

The first winery in the world to obtain LEED V4 certification (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design), it also holds LEED GOLD and Wineries for Climate Protection certifications, which accredits the application of environmentally friendly techniques throughout the production process. The jury highlighted the sustainable design and energy efficiency of the new winery inaugurated in 2022.

Under the oenological direction of Matías Calleja, oenologist and manager, this architectural project by IDOM (Gonzalo Tello and Borja Gómez) and landscaping by Isaac Escalante Camus, makes the winery 100% sustainable.

Fully integrated into the Riojan landscape, it has a revolutionary geothermal energy system to heat the facilities and achieve lower energy consumption, with multiple technological innovations in which civil engineers, industrial engineers, architects, ecologists, hydrogeologists and experts in environmental quality have participated.

This holistic conception in the creation of a winery includes the use of rainwater and natural light, reduction of noise pollution and integrated waste management. It is one of the most efficient and sustainable wineries in Europe.

Hotel Santa María Briones “Best Of – Accommodation”.

The jury highlighted “the quality, charm and value” that the Hotel Santa María Briones brings to the accommodation offer in the Rioja destination, especially in the village of Briones.

The boutique hotel is located in an old civil mansion from the 16th century listed for its high historical value, located next to the tower and the walls of the medieval village. “The refurbishment of the building is of great elegance and comfort”, the work of the architect Ignacio Quemada and the interior designer Isabel López Vilalta & Asociados.

The medieval wall and part of the natural rock foundations have been integrated into the interior design of the hotel, both in the interior courtyard and in some of the interior rooms, creating very natural and welcoming spaces. The original wine-making and conservation cellar has been recovered, as well as the old stone wine press.

The rooms have been designed with an enormous amplitude and with all the comforts. A truly charming hotel that also represents a vital project, a family that returns to its Riojan origins after a long journey through Spain and the United States. “A hotel with a very special link to wine culture, as it could not be otherwise in Briones”, with a special package of accommodation, breakfast and a visit to the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture.

Vintae Wine Festival Award “Best Of – Special Mention”.

Vintae had been unable to celebrate the Vintae Wine Fest, the mother of all festivals, for two years. A festival that they have been holding for eighteen years, with the two years of forced hiatus due to the pandemic.

This year they are back with Vintae Wine Fest 2022, held on the weekend of 30 September to 2 October. “Three days of music, gastronomy, revelry, good vibes and lots of wine”. Friday was the day of the “bienbebida” with a tapas and wine route through San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Saturday is always the big day: games, charangas, batucadas, fireworks and a show in the square followed by a party in the bars and discotheques of the village. On Sunday the festival moved to the Bodega Hacienda López de Haro for a typical Riojan Sunday, with chops washed down with wine and live music.

Every year the theme is different. This year they brought to life the Wine Circus, “the craziest and most danceable circus ever”. And when they say circus, they really mean it. “Setting up a circus bigger than the castle of San Vicente, with a great show of trapeze artists, clowns, acrobats, jugglers, strongmen and bearded women”.

The Wine Fest is not a year-round event, it only happens one weekend a year. But it is a party in the purest Vintae style: “it brings freshness, youth, flirting and fun to the world of wine”, emphasised the jury.

Vivanco, among the 50 most amazing winemaking projects in the world

The eagerly awaited World’s Best Vineyards list, which since 2019 has been honouring the 50 most impressive and evocative wineries and wine projects in the world, has once again included Vivanco among its ranks.

Located in Briones, Vivanco is ranked 44th among the 50 unique destinations, five of which are Spanish. It is the only winery in La Rioja to receive an award among the “Oscars of wine and wine tourism worldwide”.

All the award-winning projects are particularly surprising for their geographical location, their architecture, their history, their wine tourism perspective, their gastronomy and, of course, their unique winemaking proposal. In short, wineries and experiences that amaze for their way of understanding, feeling and projecting the essence of this millenary beverage.

This award highlights the artistic and incalculable value of the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture. A collection that treasures outstanding works of all times, an artistic harmony that completes the oenological and gastronomic experience of the dream that, now in its fourth generation, is shared by this winemaking family from Briones, in the heart of La Rioja.

These awards demonstrate the efforts of all our partners to innovate and give the best of themselves to the visitors who choose us.

Quality wine tourism. Close to you.