How to plan a La Rioja wine tour - Rebecca and the World

Looking for the best La Rioja wine tour? You’ve come to the right place! Plus, I’ll give suggestions if you prefer to take a self-guided La Rioja wine tour.

One of the highlights of a trip to northern Spain is visiting the La Rioja wine region.

The small province of La Rioja is absolutely packed with gorgeous bodegas (wineries) that have been producing the best Spanish wines for decades – some for centuries.

Read on for the best way to enjoy the area (spoiler: I recommend a La Rioja wine tour!) and why I think everyone should visit La Rioja.

A scenic view of La Rioja's wine country with rolling vineyards, winding roads, and the Bodegas Luis Alegre building prominently featured in the foreground. La Rioja is a beautiful wine region in Spain - one of the best ways to visit is a La Rioja wine tour.

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Where is La Rioja?

The smallest province in Spain, La Rioja hugs Basque Country and Navarra, squeezed into the east of Castile y León province. Driving through La Rioja is a picturesque mix of stunning landscapes, gorgeous Spanish architecture, and vineyards as far as the eye can see.

While visitors don’t flock to the La Rioja wine region the way they do to Tuscany or Bordeaux, those in the know appreciate the grapes that grow in the region’s dry climate: Spain’s famous Tempranillo, of course, but Rioja wines also include Graciano, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Malvasia and Viura grape varietals. The region produces mostly red varietals, but has quickly gained acclaim for its whites and rosés.

Rioja has three regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa.

Rioja wine has been made since the since the times of Phoenicians and the Celtiberians, and many bodegas continue using ancient wine production methods.

Wine from Rioja must adhere to strict quality controls, and only wine made with grapes from the region and produced in Rioja can be labeled as Rioja wines. The Denominación de Origen Calificada, the quality control board, must approve all wines.

The majestic Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada with its two spired towers, nestled among the rustic buildings of La Rioja. You'll find plenty of gorgeous Spanish architecture in the La Rioja wine region.

Should you visit La Rioja alone or on a guided tour?

Visiting La Rioja is a great day trip from San Sebastián (the foodie capital of Spain) or the port city of Bilbao.

Now, while you can visit the La Rioja wine region by yourself (if you have a designated driver, of course!), I think it’s far more fun to relax and have the whole trip planned for you.

That way, there’s no need to research the best La Rioja wineries (especially difficult when there are more than 500 bodegas in Rioja!), or see which ones offer tours or reserve a spot on a tour in advance. Someone else does all of that for you. Plus, a guide will point out things to see and share interesting facts about Rioja wine and the area.

That’s why we chose to book a La Rioja wine tour when we visited.

But if you want to do a self-guided La Rioja wine tour, then read on, because I suggest several wineries throughout this article. Simply plug them into your GPS and make a road trip of it.

What to expect on a La Rioja wine tour

Following on from the great pintxos tour we did with Mimo Food (formerly San Sebastian Food), we decided to also take their La Rioja wine tour.

The full-day winery tour included visits to three Rioja wineries that were vastly different, an incredible five-course gourmet lunch and a stroll through a gorgeous village. And a LOT of the best Spanish wines, of course.

There were only a handful of people on the tour so it felt very intimate and we had plenty of chances to ask questions of our guide.

While they no longer offer this tour, I will share our experience of this La Rioja wine tour because we visited some fantastic wineries. You can use this information to create your own self-guided wine tour of La Rioja.

Or, book a wine tour with one of these well-regarded companies:

This 9-hour wine tour includes visits to three local wineries as well as a lovely picnic (with wine!) at a fourth winery. You’ll visit the picturesque medieval village of Laguardia. Hotel pick-up and drop-off is included. Book the tour online here.
Prefer a private wine tour? This full-day tour offers a more personalised experience, with tastings at two wineries and a 5-course gourmet lunch. Check availability online.
This full-day wine tour includes visits to some of the oldest underground wine caves in the area, and lunch at a Basque restaurant. It’s another private tour, and the cost varies depending on your group size. Check pricing here.

Bodegas Muga

We started our tour at Bodegas Muga in Haro. This traditional winery is over two hundred years old.

The winery is also one of the few that still makes its own oak barrels, a dying tradition. Each different oak used to make the barrels – French, Spanish and American – impacts the flavour, along with the flavours imparted as the cooper fires the inside of the barrels. Bodegas Muga is one of the best bodegas in Rioja – you’ll see it on must-visit lists everywhere.

This first stop was where we discovered that wine tasting in Spain is unlike anywhere else I’ve experienced (except perhaps in Argentina). The tasting pours were enormous.

At Muga (and the other wineries we visited later in the day) our tasting glasses were filled up halfway rather than with just a tiny slug. I guess you’re supposed to sip and spit, but I hate to waste a good thing!

A traditional wooden wine barrel on a cart, labeled with 'Muga, Haro, Rioja', representing one of La Rioja's renowned wineries. Bodegas Muga is one of the best wineries in La Rioja and easy to visit.

Bodegas Baigorri

Next, we moved on to a more modern winery that used different techniques.

Bodegas Baigorri is the product of a wealthy local businessman, a winery that received some criticism when it was being built. The winery is seven floors – but six of these are below ground, built into a mountain.

The top floor is the only part visible, a large glass box which some people say blends well into the surrounding countryside, while others think it looks out of place.

Whatever your view, it certainly is a unique structure.

Overlooking view from a winery in La Rioja, showcasing the geometric patterns of vineyard plots, with a dramatic sky overhead. The views from Bodegas Baigorri are gorgeous - it's a must-visit winery in La Rioja.

Baigorri uses gravity in its production system, so there are no pumps.

Descending into the depths of the James Bond-style building, we came across silver metal tanks holding thousands of litres of wine, stark concrete flooring and a clever gantry.

Interior of a modern winery in La Rioja, with stainless steel fermentation tanks lined up symmetrically and a central walkway leading to the end of the facility. Bodegas Baigorri is one of the most modern wineries in La Rioja.

It was here that we had lunch, on the lowest level of the winery. The view from here was stunning – we weren’t completely underground as the side that we were sat on peeked out of the mountain and in front of us stretched sun-drenched vineyards bordered by mountains.

Lunch was a five-course gourmet meal that included almond gazpacho and Iberico pork jowl slowly cooked in red wine, finished off with panna cotta with blueberry jelly. And eight different varieties of wine!

A gourmet plate of pork jowl with a rich glaze, accompanied by colorful garnishes, reflecting the culinary offerings of the region. Bodegas Baigorri has a wonderful restaurant that serves up gourmet food.

An artistically plated dessert featuring a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a purple jelly slab, and decorative sauces, embodying the fine dining experiences in La Rioja. Dessert at Bodegas Baigorri is to die for, it's one of the great restaurants in La Rioja.

Bodegas Carlos San Pedro

Fully satisfied, we nodded off in the car as we drove to the final winery, located in the gorgeous medieval town of Laguardia.

Narrow, winding streets belied the fact that built under these houses are hundreds of caves. Only a few are now in use, including at Bodegas Carlos San Pedro, a 600-year-old cellar.

We made our way eight metres underground into a cool cellar and sampled wine straight from the barrel.

A charming street in a village in the La Rioja region with stone buildings, hanging lanterns, and a wine barrel sign, evoking the ambiance of the region's small towns. There are many gorgeous villages sprinkled throughout La Rioja wine region. — The gorgeous alleyways of Laguardia

A hand pouring red wine from a decanter into a row of glasses, capturing the wine-tasting experiences offered throughout La Rioja. There are plenty of old wineries throughout La Rioja.

As we drove back into San Sebastián, the persistent rain we’d experienced during the entirety of our visit once again broke through.

So, happily tipsy after a day sipping plenty of red wine, we made our way directly to the nearest pintxos bar to continue the indulgence.