If there's a wine that embodies Spain, it's Rioja. Intense and seductive, the
wines from this region in the north of Spain have been prized since the Middle
Ages, when medieval pilgrims drank it en route to Santiago de Compostela.
During this trip, you’ll sample a range of prestigious Rioja wines, from vintages
aged in medieval caves through to wines produced in the most avant-garde
installations. You’ll visit renowned estates such as Marques de Murrieta and
smaller boutique wine producers like Finca Valpiedra.
But there is more to La Rioja than great wine. You'll dine on delicious regional
cuisine, sleep in charming inns and wine hotels and visit picturesque villages
and historic monasteries and churches. Here, the people are warm and the
wine is always flowing. If you love Spanish wine and would like to explore one
of the most beautiful regions of Spain, then this unique vacation is for you.
ˇSalud! 
Private transfer from Bilbao airport to the village of Laguardia, where you’ll
check into your hotel with views of the vines. Enjoy a free afternoon exploring
this beautiful walled town, once the capital of the Rioja region. The hilltop
village is built upon an intricate system of underground “caves” or cellars,
excavated under the houses and streets. Walk through its narrow cobbled
streets, explore one of the underground wine cellars or perhaps visit the 12th
century Church of Santa María de los Reyes. Dinner at your hotel is a gourmet
Riojan feast.
With your private driver /guide, visit the Marques de Riscal bodega in Elciego,
one of the oldest wineries in Rioja and one of the first to introduce French
winemaking techniques. The new hotel and winery building have been
designed by famous architect Frank Gehry. After a winery tour and tasting,
enjoy lunch in a typical Riojan restaurant that might include chuletillas al
sarmiento (lamb chops grilled over vine shoots) and pimientos asados (roasted
red peppers).
Continue to the impressive wine museum, the Vivanco-Museo de la Cultura del
Vino (Museum of Wine Culture). The museum was created and developed by
Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco, a family with a long tradition of winemaking in La
Rioja.
Later in the evening explore Logrońo, the capital of La Rioja. Discover the art of
tapas-hopping with your guide in the lively old part of town. The narrow streets
are lined with bars specializing in different tapas, such as wild mushrooms
grilled with garlic and olive oil.
Your private tour commences in the busy town of Haro, the capital of the Rioja
Alta wine region, where we visit the oldest winery in town. Little about the
López de Heredia winery has changed in the 125 years since its founding. The
family adheres to a winemaking doctrine blueprinted in the 1880’s — to make
wine only from their own vineyards, using natural yeasts, long aging in wood,
and no filtration at bottling. A tour of the winery is followed by tasting. Lunch
on your own in Haro.
Continue with your guide to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a small medieval
town very important for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Admire the noble stone mansions with their coats of arms and tour the 12th
century Cathedral, famous for its legend of the “hen and the cock”.
Your final destination is Ezcaray, a mountain town situated on the banks of the
Rio Oja. Check into your delightful hotel and enjoy a fabulous dinner in a
Michelin star restaurant presided over by Francis Paniego, one of Spain’s rising
young chefs.
Enjoy a full-day tour today with your private driver/guide. Visit the beautiful
village of San Millan de la Cogolla, where art and history are well represented in
the monastery complex of Suso and Yuso (dating back to the 6th century).
Nestled in a green mountain valley, both monasteries are World Heritage sites
and it is here that the first manuscripts written in the Castillian and Basque
(Euskera) languages are preserved.
After lunch, continue to the village of Casalarreina and our elegant
accommodations for the next two nights, a beautifully restored monastery.
Dine tonight in a restaurant popular with local wine-makers. Complete with
17th century stone wine cellar, the restaurant features local specialities
including the classic pimientos de piquillo (sweet red peppers) stuffed with cod
and more original creations like crisped pasta with jumbo shrimp in a feathery
leek sauce.
Today is a special wine tasting day, with visits to two famous estates, one
historic and one modern. Firstly, you’ll visit Marques de Murrieta, one of the
prettiest and most historic wineries in Rioja. Established in 1852, the winery
boasts its own castle!
The next visit is to the modern cellars of Finca Valpiedra, a wonderful chateau
style winery located in one of the most beautiful areas of Rioja Alta, surrounded
by vineyards and the Ebro river. This prized vineyard estate, owned by the
Martinez Bujanda family, produces only one style of wine each year, a delicious
rich red. After a tour and wine tasting, lunch is in a traditional restaurant.
Enjoy a free evening. Stroll around the village of Casalarreina, visit the historic
church, or perhaps indulge in a luxurious wine-therapy treatment or relaxing
massage at the hotel.
Transfer to Bilbao and check into your boutique hotel, located a short stroll
from the famous Guggenheim museum. After lunch on your own, enjoy a
private tour of this internationally acclaimed museum and discover why Frank
Gehry's mind-boggling titanium masterpiece has brought new life to the
coastal city of Bilbao.
Continue with your guide for a walking tour along the Nervion River, passing
the new Santiago Calatrava Bridge, and crossing into the old town. Bilbao has
a colourful medieval quarter (the Casco Viejo), and you’ll explore the original seven streets where Bilbao was founded some 700 years ago.
Your farewell dinner tonight features Basque specialities that might include
crab croquettes, spicy green peppers, smoked Idiazabal cheese and delicious
seafood dishes.
After a leisurely breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
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