MY PERFECT DAY IN RIOJA
MORNING
After an invigorating sleep and breakfast at the tranquil Palacio
Tondón (palaciotondon.com) in Briñas, complete with views of the Ebro river and the vines of Viña Tondonia, grab your walking shoes and hop in the car for a 10-minute drive to
Remelluri (remelluri.com). The estate is not open for tours, but visitors are welcome to enjoy a self-guided walk through its organic vineyards, taking a peek at the 10th-century necropolis and ancient stone lagar (wine press), carved from a huge granite boulder among the vines. A short drive southwest is Haro and its
Barrio de la Estación (railway station district: see p84). You’ll be spoilt for choice, but regardless of whether you go to CVNE (cvne.com), with its ageing cellar designed by architect Gustave Eiffel, or to Gómez Cruzado
(gomezcruzado.com), the smallest of the seven wineries, fun is guaranteed.
LUNCH & AFTERNOON
If you want to combine a winery tour with a tasting and a bite to eat, Bodegas Roda (roda.es) in Barrio de la Estación offers just that with its lovely balcony overlooking the river. Alternatively, you can drive for 30 minutes to Laguardia with a stopover at the San Vicente lookout in Elciego to take in the views of the Marqués de Riscal Hotel and its multicoloured roof standing in contrast to the surrounding landscape. Once in Laguardia, head to
Amelibia (restauranteamelibia.com) outside the city walls, for a delicious meal prepared with seasonal ingredients and a wine list featuring small Rioja producers.
Wandering through the streets of Laguardia is a joyful experience, particularly outside the peak holiday season. Another nearby hilltop town, San Vicente de la Sonsierra is also dotted with imposing buildings such as the Bodega Teodoro Ruiz
Monge (bodegateodororuizmonge.com), which is run by an artisanal grower who will happily show you around the family’s centenarian cellars and vineyards.
EVENING
For dinner, drive back to Haro, but this time head to the old town. In one of its many squares, you will find Nublo (nublorestaurant.com), a restaurant set in a 16th-century palace where all the food is cooked over open flames.
Logroño is a 90-minute drive from Bilbao airport and Madrid is less than four hours away. There are also direct links by train and bus.