Touring Rioja with a Wine Amateur
When friends and I won 200 euros in Spain’s Christmas lottery we decided to do something special with it, so we booked a Rioja travel tour and a lunch at one of La Rioja’s wineries (viñedos). And what a treat it was!
Granja de Nuestra Señora de Remelluri is located in the Basque region of Spain’s famous LaRioja wine district. The site’s been producing wine since the Roman era and in the 10th century was the location of a medieval village (the carved-grave necropolis still exists). It also operated for long time as the farm for the Monastery of Tolño, at the top of the local mountain ridge.
The tour started with in the winery museum which included not just a history of wine in the area, but of the area itself. Following a brief movie about the history of the winery (a prequisite for all wine tours it seems, Rioja travel or not), we were led through the wine-making process, in which the guide explained what made Remelluri’s Reverse and Grand Reserve wines different from other bodegas.
The real treat, however, was the meal. For less than 40 euros each we shared a leek salad made with olive oil pressed on the premises using the winery’s own olives, a type of blood sausage (made with rice instead of the usual gritty British-style) called morcilla, two large tureens of potatoes and white beans, both a la Riojana (with chorizo sausage and pepper), lamb chops roasted over coals in a smoke house, and to finish up pears poached in red wine. Rioja travel never looked so good!
And speaking of wine, they provided us with their Reserve wine, which considering I’m not a big red wine fan, was spectacular. I’m not a wine-person so couldn’t describe to you what makes the wine good. I’m only able to say that I liked it. A lot.
When the meal was over they didn’t kick us off the property and we walked off the large meal by exploring the property. Looking out across the valley we saw another bodega and realized how well we had chosen with Remelluri. 
The other bodega consisted of a big white box of a building sticking out of the landscape that destroyed the peaceful vista with its style-free starkness.
There are literally thousands of wineries to visit in Spain, with La Rioja one of the most internationally-known regions. The Basque government is rightfully proud of the existence of such fine quality wineries within its borders and has developed a Rioja travel website to promote them.
If your Spanish isn’t too rusty, you can find out more about Remelluri and other Basque wineries, visit Ruta del Vino de Rioja Alavesa.
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Photos Courtesy of Raúl Sevillano López
Alex Fayle, of Someday Syndrome, is a former procrastinator who uses his visionary ability to uncover hidden patterns and help people break the procrastination obstacle so they can finally find freedom and start living the life they desire, with lots of travel being part of the life he's always desired.
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February 3rd, 2009 at 5:30 am
Thanks for including this on your blog, Andy. It was a great trip and fun to write up.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome’s last blog post..Getting through it on your own: The Deep Friar interview
May 24th, 2009 at 11:14 am
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