Why Rioja Should Be on Every Wine Lover's Travel List
Spain's Rioja is one of those wine regions that rewards visitors on multiple levels. Yes, the wine is exceptional — structured Tempranillos aged in American oak, with flavours of cherry, vanilla, and leather that are unmistakably their own. But Rioja also offers extraordinary food, medieval villages, dramatic Pyrenean foothills, and some of the most architecturally adventurous winery buildings anywhere in the world. It's a region that seduces the senses well beyond the cellar.
Understanding Rioja's Three Sub-Regions
Rioja is divided into three distinct zones, each producing a different style of wine:
- Rioja Alta: The cooler, higher-altitude western zone around Haro produces the region's most elegant and age-worthy wines. This is considered the heartland of traditional Rioja.
- Rioja Alavesa: In the Basque Country, this compact zone on clay-limestone soils makes wines known for freshness, mineral character, and finesse.
- Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja): The warmer, lower-lying eastern zone produces richer, more alcoholic wines, often blended to add body to wines from the cooler zones.
Where to Base Yourself
Haro is the undisputed wine capital of Rioja. This small, handsome town in Rioja Alta is home to the famous Barrio de la Estación — a cluster of historic bodegas built around the 19th-century railway station. Several of Spain's most iconic houses, including López de Heredia and CVNE, are found here. The town itself has excellent tapas bars and a lively local culture.
Logroño, the regional capital, is larger and more cosmopolitan, with a celebrated tapas street — Calle Laurel — that is worth a visit in its own right. It makes a practical base for exploring across all three sub-zones.
Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa is a stunning medieval walled village perched on a hill, home to the futuristic Frank Gehry–designed Marqués de Riscal winery hotel. Even if you don't stay there, the building alone is worth the drive.