Rioja Region's Gems
Updated: Oct 2
Rioja is one of Spain’s most celebrated wine regions, stretching along the Ebro River and protected by the Cantabrian Mountains. Its three subregions, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental, offer a mix of Atlantic, Mediterranean, and continental influences, with vineyards ranging from roughly 300 to 800 meters in elevation.
The Rioja’s varied landscape produces a wide spectrum of wine styles, though Tempranillo-based reds remain the hallmark. The region also cultivates Garnacha (Grenache), Graciano, and Mazuelo (Carignan) for reds, along with Viura and several other native varieties for whites.
Historic towns anchor the region, including Haro, home to the famed Barrio de la Estación wineries; Logroño, with its lively tapas culture; and the medieval hilltop village of Laguardia.
Where Are We Staying?
We loved Haro and stayed at Eurostars Los Agustinos. The hotel is housed in a historic former convent right in the center of town, with a large interior cloister that gives the property a lot of character. Most importantly, it is an easy walk to restaurants, cafés, shops, and the Barrio de la Estación wineries.
Where Are We Drinking?
Ysios Winery
None of the family really knew what to expect going into the tour and tasting at Ysios. Our expectations were surpassed, from the magnificence of the building in person to the in-depth tour with a wonderfully knowledgeable guide and an amazing tasting experience.
The tour began with a rosé that apparently sold out in its first year to a European beach club owner. Can anyone get Quinn and Mack tickets? Next, we got a thorough tour that showed the thoughtfulness behind the building's design and the creativity in the winemaking process. The tour even included tasting directly from a barrel to compare an unfinished and finished product. Finally, we tasted four delicious wines with a daunting amount of Ibérico ham, cheese, and wine truffles.
Bodegas Gómez Cruzado
Gómez Cruzado was probably the ideal Tucker wine tour and tasting. Our tour guide, Sylvia, did a fabulous job weaving the bodega's complex, dramatic - somewhat mysterious - history with the careful thought the winemaker is putting into revamping the brand.
The wine tasting included six stellar wines, and each Tucker had their own personal favorite, a sign of a strong tasting. Because of the time of day, we were offered the chance to finish the rest of the charcuterie spread, and whatever else we needed, until precisely five minutes before closing.
Bodegas Roda
We just stopped by their wine bar for a post-Gómez Cruzado exploration. Admittedly, none of our palates were fresh enough to taste the wine accurately. That said, they had a wide variety of wines by the glass and a cool basement cellar that extends from the tasting room.
La Rioja Alta
Fortunately or unfortunately, we have to put a disclaimer here: this was a post-Gómez Cruzado and Roda visit. We wanted, or perhaps needed, some lunch to accompany our next tasting. Quinn and Mack tried two different types of Albariño, a good addition to their pool-sipper collection. Hillary and Dave tried two more Rioja reds and added another bottle to their collection. Roda would be a good place to stop by for a longer, relaxing sit.
Bodegas Casa Primicia
Laguardia is an old walled city on a hill and wonderful to walk around. We had an appointment at Bodegas Casa Primicia. The tasting room is in their old winery, while they now have a newer winery outside the city. The tour explains the winery's origins, including how the church taxed local farmers and how wine was once made and stored in stone tanks. All in all, a fun walk through time, but perhaps given the early morning tasting, we didn’t find much we loved in terms of the wines.
Bodegas CVNE
Quinn, Dave, and Mack stopped by this tasting room for a quick glass toward the end of one day in Haro, when most other bodegas were closed. Bodegas CVNE had plenty of options to taste, plus a half-glass option that let us try more.
Honorable Mention Winery
Bodegas Muga
We didn’t get to stop by Muga while we stayed in Haro, but we had Muga wines at nearly every restaurant and café we stopped in. We were told that Muga seems much bigger than it actually is because they have an incredible marketing team. Mack and Quinn already knew the bodega because they sold Muga rosé at The Wine Goddess, a store where they both worked previously. The wines are reliably good, and they offer an accessible introduction to Rioja wines in the U.S.
Haro Area Recs
Haro is an excellent home base for your Rioja experience. It is a small, walkable town with many great restaurants, cafés, and stores. It is also an easy walk to the Barrio de la Estación wineries. A few of our dining favorites were Restaurant Beethoven, Restaurante Terete for traditional food, and a fun Mexican place called Rio Mex.
Lodging: We stayed at Eurostars Los Agustinos and recommend staying downtown so you can walk to everything.
A word of caution: Many parts of Spain enjoy afternoon siesta. We found this a good time for a nap before the evening’s festivities. During busier seasons, we recommend making dinner reservations.
Get to Know the Wines of Rioja
Rioja is best known for Tempranillo-based reds, but the region produces a much wider range of wines and styles.
Climate: Rioja combines Atlantic, Mediterranean, and continental influences, with differences in elevation and location allowing for a wide variety of wine styles.
Key Grapes: Tempranillo is the leading red grape, supported by Garnacha (Grenache), Graciano, and Mazuelo (Carignan). Viura is the main white grape.
Wine Styles: Rioja produces young, fruit-driven wines as well as oak-aged Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva styles; regional producers also make white and rosé wines.
What to Expect: Red Rioja often combines red and black fruit, noticeable acidity, and moderate to high tannin, with oak adding spice and savory notes.
Worth Knowing: Rioja’s aging terms, including Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, are based on minimum aging requirements in barrel and bottle.
Try This: Compare a younger Rioja with a Reserva or Gran Reserva to taste how oak and bottle aging change the wine.
