Rioja Wine Tours — Attraction in Logroño

A highlight of our trip! In early April my partner and I did the full day Rioja winery tour by bicycle through Rioja Like a Native. The tour included visits to two wineries, one in Laguardua, and one in Eltziego, as well as a suggested route. Rebeca was extremely helpful both via email while I was arranging everything, and by WhatsApp once we were in Logroño. The evening before our ride, Rebeca's colleague Jota delivers our bikes (we opted for traditional, rather than electric) to the hotel Sercotel Calle Mayor has an indoor bike rack, so were were confident in leaving them overnight. In the morning, we set off on the 50km round trip trek. I had adjusted the first part of the ride, because there was a specific photo that I wanted of Laguardia, and through my research had discovered the location. Both winery visits would be in Euskadi, (País Vasco), which is in the La Rioja wine region, but not within the autonomous community of La Rioja itself. The ride is challenging, especially the part that I had added, and there were a few times that we walked the bikes up especially steep hills. The effort was worth it as the views and surrounding were absolutely breathtaking. We arrived about 45 minutes before our tour, and wandered the streets taking photographs. The first winery was Bodegas Carlos San Pedro Pérez de Viñaspre, a small family owned company within the walls of Laguardia. We were the only two on the tour, and Carlos was extremely friendly, explaining much about the industry while we toured the caves 8m below ground. When it came time to do a tasting, he started us with a joven, straight from the tank where it was aging. We then tried a crianza, a reserva, and a gran reserva, while he explained the criteria that each one must meet. Trying these wines in the cellars where they are aged is an experience that we will never forget. after the tour, we purchased a bottle of their reserva, then made our way back to our bikes to continue with the day. The route to the second winery, Marqués ed Riscal in Eltziego was all downhill, and we reached speeds of about 50kph, and before we knew it, we were at the winery. The route took us to a gated entrance that was closed, but there was a sign pointing us in the direction of where we needed to go. We arrived just in time for the tour, which was a group of about 15 people, and Ahmed began by showing us the Frank Gehry designed hotel that is part of the complex. He then explained the growing seasons, and harvesting process. Marqués de Riscal is a much more modern facility than Bodegas Carlos San Pedro Pérez de Viñaspre, and the operation is quite impressive, but I preferred the more traditional to the high tech. I don't want to give the impression that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. It was a very well done tour, and we gained some additional insights here that completed things that Carlos had told us in Laguardia. We completed the visit with another tasting and tapas while Ahmed told us a few more facts about the wines. Before we left, we purchased a couple bottles of wine and some gifts, including a ring made by a local artisan that evoked the design of the hotel. We continued the route, mostly along gravel recreational paths and arrived back at the hotel, exhausted but exhilarated. I contacted Jota to arrange the pick up of the bikes, got cleaned up, and went out for tapas on Calle Laurel. This ride was a highlight of this year's two week...

I felt a lot of pressure finding an experience that could please both my parents who are from Navarra and my husband who is from the US and on his first trip to Europe. Rebeca and Roberto’s tour was the perfect choice. It was easy to set up at the last minute, Rebeca was very communicative, and the tour itself was amazing. Rebeca picked us up from our hotel in Legrono (Hotel Calle Mayor- also a great choice) and we travelled to a family owned boutique winery about 30 minutes away. On the drive, Rebeca provided lots of interesting information about the area and wine making in general. At the winery, we met up with an Australian couple on their honeymoon and received the experience of blending our own Crianza from the barrels. We learned about the importance of the barrel in the wine making process which is something that had never crossed my mind. We were joined by Roberto in LaGuardia, a tiny, car-less village in existence since the 800s for a lovely lunch and a walk through the streets to the next winery. We went into the depths of the village’s caves for a wine tasting experience that we’ll never forget. On the way back to the car, we popped into local shops and had plenty of moments for photos. Which are plentiful in a village with such history and amazing views of the surroundings areas. When we arrived back at our hotel, we were gifted with a bottle of wine from Rebeca’s fathers personal vineyard. Rebeca and Roberto were amazing hosts of the area and provided us an experience we will never forget. They mentioned some other tours they coordinate for food-lovers and if I had the opportunity to take one of those, I wouldn’t hesitate. The day was well worth the price and on my next trip to Spain, I will definitely be contacting them for a possible...

Two perfect days. Fantastic La Rioja experiences. Wonderful guide & host. Worth a 6/5 rating.

My wife & I are wine lovers and enjoy visiting wineries and vineyards in different regions. This was our first visit to La Rioja, we put it in the hands of Rioja Like A Native Wine Tours, and we could not have made a better decision. Starting with their informative website, followed by excellent pre-trip communication with Rebeca, the Founder of the business (who was so helpful with my many questions!), and then when we finally arrived at the Logroño train station and were met by delightful Fito, who would be our Guide for the next two days – our time in La Rioja with these friendly, kind, caring, knowledgeable, organized and professional people – good people – was excellent!

We spent two days experiencing Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa “Like A Native” with these fine folks, mostly with Fito, who was great! We had fun, visited diverse wineries, learned a lot, tasted great wines, ate delicious food, saw historical and beautiful sites, and met very nice people. My wife and I felt like we were with friends & family.

There is much more that I could write about our wonderful time and experiences with the good people at Rioja Like A Native Wine Tours. Suffice it to say that they deliver what they promise. If you look at their website or what is on Tripadvisor, what you see is what you get –...