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Category: La Rioja

  • Bideona, Rioja Alavesa

    Bideona, Rioja Alavesa

  • Meson Alai in Labastida

    Meson Alai in Labastida

    Meson Alai in Labastida, Araba, a corner of the Basque Country, stands out for its traditional yet gastronomic cuisine and warm and welcoming atmosphere. This culinary gem offers the best Rioja has to offer at reasonable prices!

    Meson Alai is not just a restaurant; it’s an experience that showcases the rich flavours of the Rioja region.

    Diners praise the quality of the dishes and the friendliness of the service. With a varied menu that includes delicious meats, grilled fish, and exceptional desserts, many have described the dining experience as memorable.

    You can indulge in pinxtos and small plates at the bar, try the menu del dia at just €13 – a three course meal with a bottle of wine, or order a la carte from a varied menu including the 1kg steak, seafood garbanzos and grilled lubina which have garnered 5-star acclaim.

    Small details prove attention to quality and customer experience such as the high-quality olive oil and exquisite 30-year-old Rioja wine vinegar on every table. The pet-friendly policy has also been well-received by animal loving patrons.

    Mesón Alai
    Diputación Etorbide, 9, 01330 Labastida / Bastida, Araba, Spain
    +34 945 33 13 59

     

  • Tastavin Logroño

    Tastavin Logroño

    Tastavin has been offering elaborate pinchos for more than 15 years in Calle San Juan de Logroño, one of the benchmark tapas areas in the capital of La Rioja.

    In the lower part of the premises there is a bar and 7 high tables, where pinchos and raciones are served to share in an informal atmosphere. 

    On the first floor we have the menu dining room, a space for 20 people, distributed in 4 round tables. The venue boasts an impressive wine list of more than 160 references, where Rioja plays the major role, but there are also wines from other D.O. both national and international.

    tastavin.es
    C. de San Juan, 25, 26001 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain Tel +34 609 78 70 36

     

  • Hotel Marqués de Riscal*****

    Hotel Marqués de Riscal*****

    Designed by visionary architect Frank Gehry of Guggenheim Bilbao, luxury Hotel Marques de Riscal proudly sits amidst vineyards overlooking the charming medieval town of Elciego, the wine capital of la Rioja.

    This spectacular designer property offers five-star accommodation, gourmet dining and exclusive wine experiences in an incomparable setting.

    The hotel’s spectacular facade in Gehry’s signature style of undulating titanium and steel sheets is colourful, with gold, silver, and purplish-pink hues in reference to the winery’s signature wines. Inside is grand, stylish, sophisticated and plentiful with designer details.

    Services at the hotel are impeccable and facilities abundant with a variety of excellent restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Marqués de Riscal Restaurant, elegant wine bar, cozy rooftop library lounge and award-winning vinotherapeutic wellness center.

    The rooms are luxurious and divided between the Gehry wing and spa wing. Gehry wing rooms are architecturally delightful and exude chic opulence whilst offering stunning vistas of Elciega and the mountains. Spa wing rooms provide the same comforts while combining a more contemporary style with a bespoke elegance.

    The Marqués de Riscal restaurant serves typical local dishes, but always with an avant-garde and creative touch, under the guidance of chef Francis Paniego. Let yourself be surprised by the wide variety of à la carte wines, including of course the winery’s own, and dishes always based on seasonal ingredients.

    Guests can also enjoy daily wine tours of the state-of-the-art facilities, with cellars housing vintages dating back to 1862, or explore the local region. Elciego is a town in Rioja Alavesa that is well situated to explore Rioja Alavesa and Rioja. Its location, halfway between Haro and Logroño, is an excellent strategic point to be able to visit both cities. Haro is famous for its Barrio de la Estación, an area with the highest concentration of wineries, and Logroño is famous for Calle Laurel, the lively street perfect for a tapas bar crawl.

    www.marquesderiscal.com
    Bodegas Marqués de Riscal
    C. Torrea Kalea, 1, 01340 Eltziego, Álava, Spain Tel +34 945 18 08 80

  • Eurostars Los Agustinos****

    Eurostars Los Agustinos****

    Impressive 4 star hotel in a great historical building that previously was a convent, military barrack, jail and hospital. Nowadays, it offers guests comfortable facilities with a touch of luxury.

    Located in Haro, the Capital of the Rioja Wine, it is an ideal start point for winelovers to explore major Rioja wineries.

    Rooms are decorated in a rustic style and possess practical comforts to guarantee a pleasant stay.


    www.eurostarshotels.com
    C. San Agustín, 2, 26200 Haro, La Rioja, Spain Tel +34 941 31 13 08

  • Bodega Heras Cordón

    Bodega Heras Cordón

    Spanish winemaking, particularly regarding wines from Rioja, the most famous wine region in Spain, is experiencing a revolutionary period in which more and more producers create terroir-driven and site specific wines often from historic and old vineyards. Bodegas Heras Cordón has kept and respected its tradition in making classic Crianza and Reserva wines, but also been open-minded to the new style Rioja, putting the family Bodega in the forefront of wineries in the Rioja Alavesa region. A unique feature of this bodega is that they are the only winery in Rioja to deliver to the Vatican. It follows that we have good reason to make Heras Cordón TrySpanish’ winery of the month, not in the least the average quality – price ratio, which gets top scores from many international critics! 

    Located in Fuenmayor, which lies in the heart of the D.O.Ca. Rioja wine region and has a long tradition of viticulture and winery activity, the winery profits from the fertile lands that have been prized for grape cultivation for centuries.

    The Heras Cordón family’s Rioja winemaking tradition dates back to the 19th century when they built their first cellars, carved into the earth and rock, in Lapuebla de Labarca, in the Rioja Alavesa region. Today, the winery is managed by three Cordón brothers, blending modern technology with traditional winemaking practices to create remarkable aged red wines.

    Construction of the new winery began in 1995 with a 10-meter underground excavation where Rioja wines destined for aging and reserve are aged and matured. As a nod to its traditional past, the winery was built with stones from abandoned 19th-century railway stations. Its distinctive feature is its door. Originally from a ruined cloistered monastery in Segovia, it was recovered and restored to offer a majestic welcome to visitors.

    In 2001, the winery’s construction was completed, coinciding with the production of the first Heras Cordón wine in these facilities, which the Regulatory Council rated as an excellent vintage and the vintage of the century.

    Currently the family owns 100 hectares of vineyards and also purchases the production from another sixty hectares from local growers, whom they advise to ensure they obtain exceptional grapes. All the vineyards are located in two prestigious sub-regions renowned for their quality: Rioja Alta (Fuenmayor, Cenicero, and Navarrete) and Rioja Alavesa (Laguardia, Elciego, and Lapuebla de La Barca).

    Try Spanish proudly presents a selection of wines from Bodega Heras Cordón and its sister Bodega Viticultores de Lapuebla which is dedicated to production of new style Rioja wines.  

    They also have future plans to open a wine shop and building a small, eight-room hotel as well as a warehouse for finished products. Heras Cordón produces quality Rioja wines under the Rioja Designation of Origin and one is particularly special as it is destined only for the Pope. This winery boasts being the only Rioja winery with a presence in the Vatican, a relationship that began almost 20 years ago with John Paul II and continues to this day with 2,000 bottles now making their way to Rome via Madrid every year.

    José Luis Heras Cordón, CEO of Bodegas Heras Cordón, with a bottle of the wine he supplies to the Vatican © El Español

    The tradition started with John Paul II who opened the doors of the Holy See to the Fuenmayor-based winemakers after a contest aimed at choosing which La Rioja winery would win the prestigious contract.

    Benedict XVI extended the contract and now Pope Francis – who comes from a completely different wine culture in Argentina – has given his seal of approval to Heras Cordón’s blend of tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo (carignan) grapes which are grown in established vineyards between Lapuebla de Labarca and Fuenmayor.

    herascordon.com

    Ctra. Lapuebla de Labarca km 2, Apartment 29, 26360 Fuenmayor, La Rioja, Spain
    Tel +34 941 451 413
    tienda@herascordon.com