Wine trip 2025 to the DO Rioja

Tuesday 6th – Saturday 10th May (4 nights)

Last 4 places available

Our trip next May is going to be very special and we will be spending 4 nights in the prestigious DO of La Rioja – the first ever DO in Spain. We will be staying in an excellent 4* hotel in Logroño which is the capital of the region of Rioja.

As this location is further from home and we believe some members may wish to extend their stay or visit other areas we have decided members will make their own way to Logrono. But don’t worry – as soon as you arrive you can park up (either in the hotel car park or one of the free public parks) and forget about your car as we will have a coach for all our visits. Logrono can also be reached by air or by rail. We will be arranging for all your wine purchases to be transported back to Javea for you to collect.

The existence of vines in Rioja has been traced back to the year 873 however it was not until 1787 when the then canon of Burgos Cathedral travelled to France he brought back the wine making methods of Medoc which were then used in Rioja. Rioja’s importance increased at the end of the 19th century when phylloxera decimated the French vineyards but Spain escaped the infestation. It was in 1925 that the DO of Rioja was recognised – this was the first to be constituted in Spain. Rioja now comprises some 14,800 grape growers, 567 wineries, and over 65,000 hectares of planted vineyards. Rioja has the most barrels of any wine producing region in the world and now has 1.3 million. Rioja’s minimum ageing requirements supersede the requirements set out for other regions.  Over 65% of red Riojas are aged in barrel and Crianza wines have a minimum of one year in barrel and one year in the bottle. Reserva wines have at least one year in the barrel and two in the bottle and, of the 1,100 Rioja wines featured in the prestigious Peñin wine guide, 70% have been rated over 90 points. This is a unique opportunity for us, as a group, to visit iconic bodegas who have a serious vision for the future.  The scenery and the wines will not disappoint on this special trip.

We will be staying in the 4 star Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja hotel which is right in the historic centre of the old town of Logroño.

This beautiful modern hotel in a very old building has lovely rooms, serves excellent breakfasts but, for good reason, it has no restaurant. It is only a very short stroll to the scores of tapas and wine bars which make this area famous. All the bars specialise in their own style of tapas and the patrons spill into the narrow streets creating an amazing atmosphere. It is worth visiting Logrono just to enjoy this area. You can also visit the local museum, the Cathedral or enjoy a walk along the banks of the River Ebro.

There are many bodegas in Rioja which are world famous and you can buy their wines anywhere. We have avoided these and chosen a selection of bodegas which we believe are interesting and different and all of which offer quality wines. All the presentations will be in English and we are keeping the tours quite short so you can concentrate on tasting and buying.

Our Plans

You should make your own way to the hotel and full directions for the hotel and parking will be supplied.

We will meet for drinks on the evening of Tuesday 6th May followed by a short walk to our restaurant for dinner. The following day we will first visit the renowned Vivanco wine museum which will give us a real understanding of the area. This will be followed by a Bodega visit and lunch in the most spectacular of settings. On Thursday we will visit two bodegas in the morning then the rest of the day is your own. Let’s see how much of the town you can explore before being lured into one of the many bars! On Friday we again visit two bodegas the last being the spectacular and famous Ysios. This is famous not only for its prestige wines but also its spectacular building designed by Santiago Calatrava – think Valencia Arts and Science buildings. In the the evening we will enjoy a drink followed by a farewell dinner and the trip concludes after breakfast on Saturday morning.

Everywhere we visit is close by and the maximum time you will be on the coach is about 30 minutes. We have also made sure you have plenty “free time” to enjoy Logroño.

What’s included and the price

The tour includes four nights bed and breakfast in a 4 star quality hotel; all transport by coach whilst in the area; visit to the wine museum; visits to five bodegas with the opportunity to taste and purchase wines; two receptions and dinners & one lunch; transport of your wines back to Javea and, of course, the devoted attention of your wine trip team. (Please remember: You will be responsible for your own transport to and from Logroño. Parking will be available at a cost in the hotel (subject to availability) or alternatively in one of the free car parks nearby – full details will be given out before the trip.)

The final price will depend on the number of participants but we expect it to be around €765 per person sharing a double room and €975 per person in a double room for single occupancy. (sorry but the hotel has no single rooms)

If you wish to stay any extra nights we will arrange this with you once we confirm your place on the trip.

Requesting Places

If you would like to apply for places to join us on this trip please click here which will take your to T&C’s and request page. This is the only way to request places. We will confirm within two weeks if you have been successful in securing a place(s) and, at that stage, will ask for a deposit of €200 per person. We will ask you for the remaining balance in March.

We look forward to having you with us on the trip

Tim, Sandy, John and Shirley

Wine Trip Team