BUDGET TIP: WHERE TO TASTE: WHEN TO GO WHERE TO DINE

SPAIN
Rioja
OTHER ACTIVITIES
What is arguably the best wine
museum in the world resides at
the Dinastía Vivanco winery in
Briones. Unveiled in 2004, the
Museo de la Cultura del Vino
features almost 3,000 corkscrews and more than 8,000
wine-related pieces and exhibits
spread throughout five salons. A
top-level restaurant and a wineand-tapas bar provide postvisit
refreshment and nourishment.
WHERE TO DINE
The quintessential food experience in Rioja centers around
strolling the bustling streets of
Laurel, San Agustín and San Juan
in central Logroño and feasting
on regional tapas accompanied
by glasses of local wine. Top
spots include Las Cubanas for
roast suckling pig and Tastavin
for elevated tapas like tempura
bacalao (a dried salted cod).
For fine dining in the so-called
Spanish vanguardia style, Francis
Paniego’s Restaurante El Portal
del Echaurren in Ezcaray can
provide moments of brilliance,
while the chef’s more casual restaurant in Logroño, Tondeluna,
captures the essence of contemporary cooking.
WHERE TO STAY
Lodging options in Rioja range
from the five-star Frank Gehrydesigned Hotel Marqués de
Riscal in Elciego to boutique
hotels in small villages, as
well as basic European-style
three-stars that won’t break
the bank. The aforementioned
Marqués de Riscal, which houses
a Caudalie Vinothérapie spa, is
Rioja’s signature luxury hotel,
with an affluent clientele. The
Hotel Viura in tiny Villabuena de
Álava is a personal favorite, with
luxe touches and a cool design.
Heredad Ugarte, near Laguardia,
features a newly constructed
hotel with outstanding views of
the Ebro Valley.
LOCAL IN-THE-KNOW
PHOTO ©VIBRANT RIOJA; TAPAS BAR ©ATLANTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL/CORBIS; HOTEL ©ATLANTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL/CORBIS
A
mong Spanish wine regions, Rioja ranks as the granddaddy of them
all. Located in northeast Spain along the Ebro River, protected to
the north by the Cantabrian Mountains and anchored by the city
of Logroño, Rioja boasts centuries of winemaking history. It entered
the modern commercial era in the 19th century, when French wine­
makers, looking to escape the spreading phylloxera plague, crossed the
Pyrénées and settled in Rioja. Today, Rioja offers an elite mix of Iberian
history, stunning scenery, proprietary cuisine, brilliant wines and a unique
meshing of old and new. Welcome to Spain’s greatest wine region. —MICHAEL SCHACHNER
PROMINENT WINES
With more than 600 wineries
spread across the subzones of
Rioja Alta, Alavesa and Baja,
variety is a regional theme.
Quality and prices start at simple
BUDGET
BUDGET
TIP:
TIP
and cheap and expand to
In the
At summer,
Centro Hípico
go on
outstanding and expensive.
a treasure
Navarrete,
hunt owner
around
The main grape in the
theKatharina
vineyards,Gachnang
oriented
region is Tempranillo,
with
offers
a GPS.
informative
The Champagneone-hour
but Rioja’s vineyards also
Ardenne
horseback
Tourism
rides Bureau
through
grow Garnacha, Graciano
arranges
the vineyards
this fun
overlooking
activity
and Mazuelo (Carignan),
the
that
town
ends
ofat
Navarrete
the
among red grapes. The
Verzenay
(approximately
windmill.
principal white grapes of
$24).
Rioja are Viura (Macabeo) and
Malvasia.
Taquio Uzqueda, local artist and historian says, “I’ve spent more than a quarter-century visiting the monasteries of Yuso and Suso in San Millán de la Cogolla, where history says the modern Spanish language began
during the 10th century. When you are there, you think about the era of monks, Moors and Christians, and
the battles that these monks listened to in silence. Every corner of each monastery is filled with magic.”
40 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | FEBRUARY 2013
WHERE TO TASTE
TASTE:
From left: a tapas
bar at Calle Laurel
in the old center
of Logroño; the
Frank Gehrydesigned Hotel
Marqués de Riscal
and winery in
Elciego; sorting
grapes at
Marqués de Riscal
Over the
Many
of the
past
large
decade,
Champagne
Rioja wineries
houses, with
such public
as Louistasting
Roederer
rooms
in Reims,
and tours
receive
by
visitors, but it’s
appointment
have
justincreased
as much fun
exponentially.
to visit smaller
Bodegas
growers.
Franco-Españolas
Pommery is located
is the only
in a
beautiful
major
Rioja
park
winery
in Reims,
located
displaying
within Logroño’s
majestic city
architecture
limits. Situated
and some
on the
of north
the largest
bank
caves
of
the(crayères),
Ebro River,which
the restored
are dug
winery
out ofdates
the chalk
from 1890
and and
dateoffers
back to
photos
Roman
spanning
times.
Look for
more
thanthe
a century
bas-relief
andsculptures
tastings. Viña
by Gustave
Real, part
Navlet.
of theAt
CVNE
Erickfamily
de Sousa’s
of wines,
winery
was
in Avize on
designed
by Bordeaux
the Chardonnay-dominated
architect Philippe Mazières
Côtes des
andBlancs,
incorporates
enjoy a
plenty
family-style
of pine
welcome
and
Canadian
and redwood.
taste the It’s
wines
a stunning
from biodynamically
bodega, operational
grownsince
grapes.
2004,Inwith
Épernay,
caves
visit Champagne
extending
150 meters
de Castellane
into the hillside.
for one At
of Bodegas
the best introductions
Muga in Haro,toa the
visitprocess
(appointof
Champagne
ment
required)
production.
revolves Climb
around
theseeing
winerythe
tower
winery’s
(a local
own
landmark)
cooperage
to get
in a
action,
great
view of in
lessons
the
racking
vineyards.
and tastings of several of Muga’s world-class wines.
ON THE WEB
Artadi: artadi.com
Bodegas Beronia: beronia.es
Bodegas Franco-Españolas: francoespanolas.com
Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres: marquesdecaceres.com
Bodegas Muga: bodegasmuga.com
Bodegas Roda: roda.es
Centro Hípico Navarrete: hipicanavarrete.com
CVNE: cvne.com
Dinastía Vivanco: dinastiavivanco.com
Finca Allende: finca-allende.com
Hijos de Cecilio Valgañon: mantasezcaray.com
Hotel de Marqués de Riscal: hotel-marquesderiscal.com
Hotel Viura: hotelviura.com
Las Cubanas: lascubanas.net
Tondeluna: tondeluna.com
WHEN TO GO
Spring and fall are the
prime visiting seasons. Late
September into October is
harvest time.
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