| Rioja Roundup
The past and future of Spanish wine
If there's a wine that embodies Spain, it's Rioja. Intense, earthy, and seductive, it's been prized ever since the Middle
Ages, when medieval pilgrims drank it en route to Santiago de Compostela, then spread word about this fantastic wine near
the Rio Oja. In recent years, Rioja has enjoyed a full-blown renaissance, and today there's a multitude of styles: historic
Rioja, classic Rioja, modern Rioja, and alta expresion tempranillo-based wine. Rioja Roundup will sort through
the differences while visiting top Rioja wineries -- innovators and classicists, large and boutique. The tour also goes to
Ribera del Duero, a nearby region making some of Spain's most coveted wines.
Cost: $2,995 [6 days/5 nights]. Single supplement
$350
This region is hot, hot, hot! Not like southern Spain, with its 90+ temperatures, but more like a wine region that gets 90+ ratings in the wine magazines. We'll see why critics are clamoring. After a morning pick-up in Valladolid, we'll head to our first winery, Abadia Retuerta, mavericks who grow varietals like syrah and petit verdot and emphasize single-vineyard cru. We'll visit a wine museum at the Emina winery, part of the Matorremera Group. After lunch, we'll visit Finca Villacreces and get acquainted with the tempranillo grape, the most important red grape of Rioja. Then we go to Penafiel for the night, staying in an old monastery and visiting the castle of Penafiel. Dinner in town introduces such Spanish dishes as pimientos rellenos (stuffed red peppers), white asparagus tips, artichokes with jamon (a special Iberian ham), and grilled lamb. D | ||||
Day 2 - Welcome to Rioja Before leaving the Ribero del Duero zone, we'll have one more tasting. Pesquera is a pioneering estate that's been a critical darling among wine authorities, with good reason. Then it's on to Rioja and Briones, a charming old city on the River Ebro. Here we'll visit Miguel Merino, a boutique producer (the smallest in Rioja, by his account). The affable and pleasantly didactic Miguel will show us around his property and walk his through his award-winning wines. We'll then settle into our hotel, a beautifully renovated convent in the town of Haro. Dinner is in Haro at the hotel. B, D | ||||
Today features the new generation of Rioja winemakers who make modern-style Rioja with traditional grapes. There's no better place to start than Roda. This top-notch winery cultivates 28 small vineyard plots. We'll hop in their jeep to visit some, including their experimental vineyards planted with several dozen tempranillo clones. Then we'll taste their prized portfolio-beautiful wines that combines finesse and intensity. After lunch, we'll head to the tiny town of Samaniego (pop. 400) to visit another member of the Spanish New Wave: Remirez de Ganuza, which is also experimenting with ways to make a modern Rioja while maintaining its Riojan character. Dinner is at La Vieja Bodega, a countryside restaurant that's a favorite among local winemakers. B, D Day 4 - Rioja's Architectural Flourish Our morning tasting takes us to Marchese de Riscal. Founded in 1862, the winery was the first to bottle Rioja for commercial sale and is key in the history of Rioja wine. Today it's just as famous for its modern architecture designed by Frank Gehry--a hotel, winery, and spa complex. After a tour and tasting, it's on to Laguardia for lunch in this a beautiful hilltop town that was once the capital of the Rioja region. After lunch, we head to Contino, the winery that established the "chateaux" concept in Rioja in the 1970s -- i.e., a winery that grows all its own grapes. Situated in a unique microclimate on a bend in the Ebro River, this is one of the few wineries that also produces a pure Graciano (normally a blending grape). After a stroll through the vineyards to see a Roman bridge over the river, we'll taste their mouth-watering wines. Dinner is on your own in Haro. B
The morning takes us to Lopez di Heredia, where we'll finally encounter the "historic" style of Rioja-one meant for decades of aging, with a sherry-like oxidation, which still has many local fans. Then, it's on to the port city of Bilbao, about an hour north of Rioja. Long a sleepy port town, it underwent a wholesale revitalization after the construction of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenhem Museum. In Bilbao, there will be time on your own for lunch and sightseeing. Afterwards, we head to the Burgos, a city with a beautiful historic center and one of Spain's largest medieval cathedrals, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We'll have our farewell dinner in Burgos. Day 6 - Hasta luego! We depart immediately after breakfast to drive back to Madrid and say adios! (Drop-off is at the Madrid airport, which is connected to the city by subway.) For more tour photos, click here For GoogleMap, click here | ||||
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