Guest Blog: FOV Wine Ramblings
Rioja -
Spain’s most famous wine region
September 22nd to 28th, 2024
The group will meet in Bilbao, the wine capital located in Northern Spain, staying in the historic city centre. Bilbao is one of the Great Wine Capitals, a global network that promotes wine tourism and culture. After 2 nights in Bilbao it’s off to Rioja to explore the heart of Spanish wine country…
The Itinerary
The group will meet in Bilbao, the wine capital located in Northern Spain, staying in the historic city centre. Bilbao is one of the Great Wine Capitals, a global network that promotes wine tourism and culture. We will spend 2 nights in Bilbao enjoying a city tour, visiting the local markets and checking out the very famous Guggenheim Museum. Michelin-recommended restaurants are plentiful in this area of Spain and we will be sure to enjoy at least two of them!
Then, we are off to Rioja. This is Spain’s most famous wine region with a system of quality control that started over 100 years ago. We stay at the Santa Maria Briones Hotel for 4 nights. This stunning boutique hotel was named the 2023 Wine Tourism Hotel of the Year. From our Briones base we will visit nearby wineries including Bodegas Vivanco with its internationally acclaimed wine museum. We spend an entire day in the nearby village of Haro where we can walk from winery to winery. Famous Bodegas are literally side by side in ‘El Barrio de la Estacion’ - La Rioja Alta, Cvne, Muga, Ramon Bilbao, Gomez Cruzado - we will see how many we can get to!
Logrõno is another full day visit where we will enjoy a high-end wine tasting of Rioja’s up and coming super stars. A local guide will host us to a tour of this important stop on the Camino de Santiago. We will visit two wineries located right in Logrõno and enjoy tapas on Calle Laurel, one of the most densely populated streets in Spain for tapa bars.
Everyone will appreciate how close the wineries are in Rioja. No long drives so more time for tasting! As usual, this is a 7-day, 6-night wine tour with all expenses covered - ground transportation, meals, accommodations, wine tours and tastings, and special tours and experiences.