{"id":207,"date":"2018-06-15T17:09:04","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T17:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bootsnotroots.com\/?p=207"},"modified":"2021-12-01T19:37:59","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T19:37:59","slug":"day-rioja-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bootsnotroots.com\/day-rioja-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect Day in the Rioja Wine Region"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the past two years, we\u2019ve traveled a LOT. Despite exploring many unique \u201coff-the-beaten-track\u201d regions we were never \u201cwowed\u201d by anything. We loved a lot of places, but never visited a place that we were 100% certain we would be back. Enter Spain.<\/strong> I\u2019m gutted that we waited until our last month in Europe to explore this beautiful country, but I\u2019m now 110% sure that we will be back to Spain in the near future. We only visited the Basque region in northern Spain, but absolutely fell in LOVE. Luckily we prioritized the Rioja wine region on our visit and couldn\u2019t be more pumped to share with you our amazing day hopping between wineries (bodegas) in this beautiful region. Get ready to explore one of the best wine regions in the world! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s in this post?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. Logistics<\/a><\/li>
  2. Wineries to Visit<\/a><\/li>
  3. Boots not Roots Tried and True Tips<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMy life is 50% wondering if it\u2019s too late to drink coffee and 50% wondering if it\u2019s too early to drink wine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Logistics<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
    \"La<\/a>
    Photo Courtesy Cellar Tours<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Where to visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Rioja region is made up of four very different regions. This particular post focuses on the Rioja Alavesa region which is a short drive away from Bilbao or San Sebastian international airports. We stayed in the village of Elciego in an amazing bodega turned rural accommodation and highly recommend this option. There are a number of other options that we found on Agoda in the region as well if Agroturismo Valdelana<\/a> happens to be booked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When to visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The weather is fairly mild in this region year-round with crisp, cool mornings and warmer days. In January (the coldest month) the average high is around 50 F and in August the highs range from the mid-80s to 90s. The wettest month is November and we were specifically told to avoid this month. Keep in mind that most hotels that we looked at have A\/C, but its a unit, not central A\/C. This means that if you aren\u2019t near the unit it can take quite some time to cool down. To beat the high season (and the heat!) we went in late May and had perfect weather \u2014 shining sun and mid-70s with cooler nights so not having consistent A\/C wasn\u2019t a big deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to get around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We drove everywhere, but if you are going to drink at every winery we talk about in this blog it\u2019s probably better to hire a driver for the day (don\u2019t drink and drive!). I was the designated driver during our trip and had a few sips at every winery and ate bread at every single one, but if you want to fully enjoy your day hiring someone is probably worthwhile. When we were looking at the region we found Wine Tourism Spain<\/a> to have the best options for visiting Rioja. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Wineries to Visit<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    Now for the best part \u2014 the amazing wineries! I\u2019m going to detail the three we visited during our day, tell you who will love each tour, give each of our ratings for the tours, AND give you two bonus wineries to round out the perfect day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pro Tip: Be sure to reach out to all of the wineries you want to visit before you book your trip to ensure that they have tastings on the days and times you want to visit.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Map of the wineries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \nhttps:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1pntiIjZAf01OOpvNpNDQZKz0iIo\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Bodegas Valdelana<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Who will love this tour? \u2014 <\/strong><\/em> Winos into history<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Danielle\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 <\/em>8\/10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Drew\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 <\/em>9\/10 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Have you ever been to a winery museum? No? Until Bodegas Valdelana me either! We were in awe as we toured around this beautiful bodega complete not only with a tour of the history of wine in Rioja but archaeological remains from the region! Learning about the history of the Valdelana family and the region was enough to make this tour more than worth it. Add in a few wine tastings where we were taught how to be proper winos \u2014 this tour was my version of perfection. Plus, you can stay in the little rural house<\/a> attached to the bodega for the perfect place to base yourself during your visit. Who wouldn\u2019t want a winery tour and tasting right after breakfast?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bodegas Ruiz de Vi\u00f1aspre<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Who will love this tour? \u2014 <\/strong><\/em> Easy drinking wine lovers who enjoy a good dose of family ties<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Danielle\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 10<\/em>\/10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Drew\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 11<\/em>\/10 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Full disclosure \u2014 we love family-run businesses, hence our focus on \u201clocal\u201d on the blog. Bodegas Ruiz de Vi\u00f1aspre is a family-run winery through and through and we fell in LOVE with this gorgeous facility, family, and wines!<\/strong> Jaoine (the daughter of the owner) gave us a tour of the facility and as she spoke about the process of making the wines you could literally feel the passion come out in her voice. A few things that I loved about this family winery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. The owner still goes out to the vineyards to inspect them and make sure everything is up to par for their high quality wines. <\/li>
    2. The family sticks to their roots and is very focused on making high quality wines without selling out to the larger mass-producing wineries in the region. <\/li>
    3. They care about their customers. Fun fact \u2014 Ruiz de Vi\u00f1aspre is a hard name to pronounce for non-Basque-speaking people. To combat the difficult pronunciation and subsequent lower brand quality they redesigned their logo to make sure that people around the world would be able to pronounce their brand and purchase it! <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      After touring the facility we were brought to the gorgeous tasting room to taste a few of the wines and chat more with Jaoine. As we sat around the table with Jaoine we felt like we were chatting with an old friend about life. The connection that Jaoine quickly built with us (and I\u2019m sure with all of her customers) was unlike any other we had ever experienced with any other tour. If it wasn\u2019t for our next tour we could have sat all day and chatted with her. The pride she and her family have in the wine they are producing resonated throughout the entire winery (and wines!) and we couldn\u2019t help but be inspired by this amazing family.<\/strong> If (and when!) we are back in this region you can bet we will pay Jaoine and the Ruiz de Vi\u00f1aspre family a visit! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Bodegas Ysios<\/a> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Who will love this tour? \u2014 <\/strong><\/em> The slowly aged wine drinker with a photography-loving bone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Danielle\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 7<\/em>\/10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Drew\u2019s rating<\/strong> \u2014 7<\/em>\/10 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      After seeing a picture of this beautiful winery on EuskoGuide<\/a>, our main source of truth for planning our trip to the Basque region of Spain, I knew we had to go. Seeing it in person did not disappoint. I was in AWE. So, why didn\u2019t it score over a 7\/10? We loved this winery and the photogenic exterior and interior, but the tour itself was much less personal than the others (which we expected!). Because Ysios is not a family-run winery and produces a much larger volume of wine per year compared to the other two tours it lacked that sense of \u201cfamily\u201d compared to the other two bodegas. Despite the larger scale  of the building and winery, it was well worth the time to visit and we would do it all over again! Seeing an architectural wonder like Ysios was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Plus, the wines themselves were amazing! We had a reserve wine and are now very tempted to sign up for their wine club because we loved it so much. If you\u2019re in the region and like photography Ysios is a must-see<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Dinastia Vivanco<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Who will love this tour? \u2014 <\/strong><\/em> The wino who wants an all-encompassing experience with strong family ties https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BWPe-hYHyO8\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&v=7&wp=658&rd=bootsnotroots.com#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A136127.6000000015%7D<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u00a1Que no falte el vino en San Ferm\u00edn! Salud y felices fiestas a todos desde La Rioja.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A post shared by Vivanco Cultura De Vino (@vivancoculturadevino) on Jul 7, 2017 at 3:26am PDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I found this winery a few days before our visit and was devastated when I learned that we wouldn\u2019t have time to visit. The winery is not only family-run (four generations!), but also has a beautiful location complete with a museum, wine tastings, and a wine cellar. You could spend an entire day out here at this one winery if you wanted to (and we might next time!). Only 20 minutes away from the other wineries Dinastia Vivanco should be added to any wine-lovers must-do list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Eguren Ugarte<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Who will love this tour? \u2014 <\/strong><\/em> Cave loving wine drinkers <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/3hLnjbwUjO\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&v=7&wp=658&rd=bootsnotroots.com#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A136142.6000000015%7D<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Sun falls down over the vineyards. Some views from the hotel in Laguardia, #LaRioja. Can’t wait for @eroica_hispania<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A post shared by Laura Meseguer (@laura_meseguer) on Jun 4, 2015 at 12:10pm PDT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When we were deciding where to stay during our visit we went back and forth between Hotel Eguren Ugarte and Bodegas Valdelana and because we were on a budget chose the latter. Eguren Ugarte offers tours of their winery and bodega which has a 2km network of underground caverns! We ran out of time to visit during our trip, but when we\u2019re back in the region we\u2019ll be sure to stop by! We\u2019ve heard nothing but good things about this beautiful family-run winery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Boots not Roots Tried and True Tips<\/h1>\n\n\n\n