Rioja, Spain

Rioja is the wine more closely linked to Spain than any other. Numerous people think Rioja is a particular variety of grape and that the wine is usually red. Tempranillo, Grenache, Graciano, and Mazuelo are the main grapes grown in La Rioja, which is actually Spain's premier wine area.

Rioja is also the name of certain white wines. However, the reds are the ones that are most well-known internationally. They must be consumed in the late hours, at least three years later; five is great, and seven to eight is best. They may be sampled in large, old-fashioned haciendas like Lopez de Heredia or at brand-new, gleaming boutique wineries with glass fronts like Baigorri. Where the wine is good, the food is too, goes a Spanish proverb.

Going on a wine tour in La Rioja would also be incomplete without sampling the region's signature spicy chorizo, black pudding, or the air-dried piece of pig served with a wine marinade called lomo embuchado. Red wine from Rioja, in particular, has a long history of popularity. Even before the region's typical wine producers, the encroaching Romans, arrived, vines were already grown in Rioja. In addition to being one of Spain's most well-known wine areas, Rioja is also among its greatest. One of the few DOCs in Spain, Rioja's recognition as such is evidence of it.

Tour and Location: Rioja Wine Tours, Diputacion 39, 01330 Labastida Spain