In Ireland we love our Rioja, with the Republic one of the world’s top consumers of these luscious wines per capita. But how many people have actually visited Rioja? This beautiful lush region is just over an hour’s drive from Bilbao on the other side of the protective Sierra de Cantabria mountains, and its compact size means it is the perfect destination for a few days of wine tasting, great good and sightseeing.
1 Stay in a historic parador
The state-owned Paradores hotels offer the chance to stay in elegant historic buildings that have been upgraded with a touch of modern luxury. In operation since 1928, paradores are ambassadors for local cuisine and wines, and the Rioja locations are no exception.
Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada in Rioja Alta occupies a former pilgrim’s hostel on the Camino de Santiago, while Parador de Calahorra in Rioja Oriental is in the heart of wine country. For those who drive from Bilbao, the Parador de Argomaniz is restfully located just outside the region with a high wooden-beamed restaurant in the old palace barn.
2 Tour the traditional bodegas of Haro
For Rioja lovers, Haro is non-negotiable. Considered the region’s wine capital, many of the famous bodegas established themselves around the Barrio Estación here in the 19th century. Regular train connections to major Spanish cities and ports boosted the popularity of Rioja right across the world. Today, there are more than of 500 bodegas in or around Haro.
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For the wine tourist, this means that visiting big names such as Roda, Muga, Ramon Bilbao and CVNE is easily done on foot. Most offer tours and tastings through English, with these often paired with local cheeses and snacks. Stay in the historic Eurostars Los Agustinos for easy access to the bodegas, as well as the old town centre and its lively tapas bars. For something different, visit Restaurante Terete, famous for its local roast lamb cooked in a wood-fired oven, or Los Canõs, a Michelin-listed upmarket tapas restaurant.
3. See modern wine-making
Recent decades have seen much modernisation in Rioja and some wineries have turned to modern architecture, both to create a striking visual impact as well as adopting wine-making technologies focused on sustainability and harmony with their surroundings.
Close to Logroño, the highly popular Campo Viejo’s winery designed by Ignacio Quermada is almost entirely underground, up to 20m deep, in order to take advantage of natural temperature control. The church-like Ysios winery from Santiago Calatrava sits at the base of the Sierra de Cantabria, a stunning backdrop for its undulating roof. And of course there’s Marqués de Riscal, whose beautiful winery features a hotel with an iridescent flowing steel roof by Frank Gehry.
[ John Wilson: There's a lot more to Rioja than Gran ReservaOpens in new window ]
4. Join the tapas crowds in Logroño
The administrative capital of La Rioja, Logroño is on the Ebro river and the Camino de Santiago. Its wide variety of shops offers good options for retail therapy, but the real action is to be found on the buzzy narrow pedestrian streets of the old town.
Most of the best tapas and wine bars centre on two streets: Calle del Laurel and Calle de San Juan. Many bars specialise in one or a few tapas, meaning that diners flit from bar to bar, enjoying small glasses of wine or beer. The steel-lined Bar Angel is known for champis, mushrooms fried in garlic butter topped with a single shrimp. Tío Agus is famous for marinated grilled pork in a crusty bread roll, while El Mura’s Ferrero Rocher de morcilla flies the flag for innovation.
5. Experience a festival
Rioja is always celebrating something and there’s plenty of infectious energy to go around. The main festival is the Batallo del Vino, or Battle of Wine, held in Haro at the end of June. The Festival of St John and the lighting of bonfires is the warm-up leg, with activities getting fully under way on June 28th. First there’s a procession to the Hermitage of San Felices de Bilibio, followed by a raucous dousing in wine. Brass bands tour the streets, settling down occasionally to knock out a few tunes to the heaving crowds.
Other notable festivals include the Álava olive oil festival in late March, the Calahorra tapas festival in April and El Día de la Rioja in September. In May, July and September, the town of Anguiano sees a group of eight brightly garbed men on stilts dancing through the streets.
6. Drink like a local
Rioja is one of just two Spanish regions classified as DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada), a recognition of its exceptional quality (the other region is the Priorat). The Rioja system of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva will be familiar to many, but there are other styles to try when visiting.
[ John Wilson: Rioja is not all about redOpens in new window ]
When bar hopping for tapas, try a glass of clarete or cosechero. Clarete is Rioja’s version of rosé, which veers more towards tart and dry, while cosechero is a red made in the same style as Beaujolais Nouveau. Both go well with food and can often be found for under €2 a glass. Alternatively, sample some espumusos Rioja, or sparkling wines, which received official recognition a few years ago. Look out for wine bars such as Los Paraguas in Haro or Tastavin in Logroño that have extensive wine lists by the glass.
