Rioja Uncorked: Discover the Sacred Vineyards and Wineries
5.0
17 Ratings
Rioja

What is Rioja? A vast expanse carpeted with vineyards, where wineries are as hallowed as cathedrals. Why are we headed there? To uncover the mysteries of wine (alongside its picturesque landscapes) in four of its renowned wineries.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Rioja - “Cursed wine is better than blessed water,” goes an old Spanish saying. On this tour, Ikusnahi will take you after the ‘blessed wine’ from the most famous wine region in Spain. We’ll visit four wineries that will show us four radically different ways of making wine: from Tempranillos aged in barrels hidden in humid caves to young and daring wines. Rioja is also one of the northernmost producers in Spain of the country’s liquid gold: olive oil. Of course, you’ll try it.

Rioja is located on the banks of the legendary river Ebro, the longest river in Spain, 90 minutes from San Sebastián. You have to go by van, but you won’t be bored: we’ll cross three of the most emblematic Spanish landscapes: the green and mountainous forests of Euskadi, the flat dry fields (yellow or green, depending on the time of year) typical of Castile, and the large expanses of vineyards on the gentle hills of Rioja. Three countries for the price of one.

  • Haro - Haro is the wine capital of northern Spain. This is where the French went in desperation in the 19th century, when phylloxera devastated their vineyards and the country was left without grapes. It was then that they began to take a chance on developing a quality wine industry in the region. One hundred-plus years later, they’ve succeeded. And wow, have they succeeded.
  • Samaniego - Malolactic fermentation? Protected Designation of Origin? Young, Reserve or Great Reserve? Vintage? Pituitary? Do any of these words sound familiar to you? Probably not. When the tour ends, if the vapors of the wine allow, you’ll know the meanings of all of them. Rioja is such a rich wine region that it includes many types of wineries: there are classic ones with legendary vintages (we’ll visit them, we’ll taste them); there are small, family-run bodegas who take risks with young and daring wines (we’ll visit and taste them, too); and there are centuries-old winereris, devoted to a traditional wine: is it necessary to say that we will also visit and taste them? You’ll choose the fourth winery according to your tastes: a classic winery, or a young and experimental one? What’s your favorite grape? Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo or Maturana? The choice is yours.
  • Elciego - Until a few years ago, Elciego was just another beautiful town in La Rioja Alavesa with a huge Baroque church and many wineries. All that changed in 2006 with the inauguration of the new Marqués de Riscal wineries designed by Frank O. Gehry, a titanium whirlpool that floats over the sea of ​​vineyards.
  • Laguardia - Rioja is not only wine, wine and wine, but also a territory extraordinarily rich in historical heritage. We’ll see medieval towns such as Laguardia, with baroque churches (full of gold, virgins and cherubs, inherited from the Spanish Counter-Reformation) alongside the latest “cathedrals “ of wine, such as the Marqués de Riscal wineries by Frank O. Gehry (which uses the same titanium as the Guggenheim Bilbao museum), and the Bodegas Ysios by Santiago Calatrava.
What's Included
  • Complimentary hotel pick up and drop off
  • All-inclusive transportation costs
  • Exclusive private tour experience
  • Gourmet food pairings with wine
  • Decadent olive oil tasting
  • Personal expert guide and driver
  • Premium wine tasting at four distinct wineries
What's Not Included
  • Meals, drinks and tickets that are not listed above
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Wheelchair accessibility is extra paid - contact for details
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Location
Rioja
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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Lukaswx46jl
Nov 3, 2023
Telmo - best man! - We had such an amazing time with Telmo - great guide, delicious wine and absolute stunning scenery! Communication beforehand and pickup were smooth. The selection of the wineries were excellent and perfectly prepared. Telmo was a great host, sharing his knowledge during the car ride with us! The whole trip deffo a 10/10
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adventurer828507
Oct 9, 2023
Rioja Wine Tasting Highly Recommended - This tour could not have been better! Our tour guide and driver, Mikel, picked us up in a clean and comfortable vehicle at the arranged time. On the drive to the Rioja wine region, we discussed the day’s itinerary, history, culture, architecture, grape growing and wine making of the area. Mikel was very knowledgeable and engaging. We stopped for coffee, pastries and photo ops in a historic town and outside of 2 famous wineries known for their stunning architecture. The three wineries where we wine-tasted were all so different and all of the wines were delicious. Lunch at a family-run restaurant was one of the best meals we had in Spain. I highly recommend Ikusnahi Tours and Mikel and would book with them again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gotchap
Sep 19, 2023
San Sebastian to Rioja wine tour - We are from Japan and went to San Sebastian since we are foodie and had an excursion to Rioja wine region. Telmo, our guide, picked us up promptly in morning and gave us such a educational tour of Rioja region as well as Basque region. Very Knowledgeable of the history of Spain and Basque country. Many helpful tips and additional wine explanation during the winery tours. We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jazzastro
Jun 8, 2023
Wonderful day with Telmo! - Such a fun day visiting wineries, strolling around Laguardia and stopping for lunch! The three wineries we visited were a great variety and the wines we tasted were delicious. So glad we did this tour from San Sebastián!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juliewh650oa
May 28, 2023
Great overall experience in Rioja - Favorite part of the trip was the first winery (Tritium) with a cave tour and barrel tasting. As well as our guide Anya who was very knowledgeable about the region and the wines.
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Saraisntsarah
May 23, 2023
A great day in Rioja - Ania is a phenomenal guide and storyteller, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the Basque Country and winemaking in Rioja. She was also very friendly and easy to talk to - we loved learning from her! The locations we visited were well-picked and showed a full range of different approaches to making wine in Rioja - larger and smaller wineries, old school and new school techniques, single grape and blend, older and younger vines, etc. It was a beautiful day and a great introduction to the wine region!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jschmid69
Apr 16, 2023
Lovely wine tasting experience - I booked a wine tasting + lunch and the experience was lovely. Our guides Ania and Telmo were so knowledgeable of the Basque region, the history and most importantly the wine! They picked us up at our hotel and from the first minute I knew that this was going to be a great day. The wineries were amazing, we had a small tour around villages and a fantastic lunch. Highly recommend to anyone who is visiting the Basque region and looking to have a high quality private wine tasting experience. What is also a plus is that the van is spacious and comfortable as we travelled several hours to reach our destinations.
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Roving34892150942
Mar 6, 2023
Great experience - We booked our wine tour well in advanced, the company was easy to communicate and book with! Ania was our guide and she was fantastic. She kept us on time throughout the day and shared lots of great information about wine and history. The van is spacious and so comfortable! We did 4 winery tastings, a stop in a medieval town and overall thoroughly enjoyed our day. Lunch was delicious as well. Highly recommend this company!!
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Nickdeeks
Feb 19, 2023
Great trip to see and taste Rioja. - Extremely friendly and knowledgable guide. Timing was perfect. Went to superb locations. Not only were we taken to great locations that we would not have found on our own but were gently taught new things as we went.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aroundt2023
Feb 16, 2023
Much More than Wine! - Ania was our tour guide and we could not have asked for anyone better! It is so clear that she and Ikushani Tours have a very personal connection to the local bodegas and small businesses in the region. This was the second tour with her during our week in the Basque region, and we only wish we had more days to take more adventures with her. She picked us up in the morning from our hotel and drove to Rioja, all the while explaining everything about the history, culture, geography and agriculture of the region. It is incredible how knowledgeable, fun, and funny she was! We visited 3 wineries and had lunch at a local spot where she ordered the best dishes for us to try. In all the places we went, she knew the staff personally and it made us feel immersed in the authentic and local traditions of the region. We learned about all the ways Ikushani can customized tours to make them even more personalized which was unbelievable. We can't wait to come back - Ania and her team will be the first people we contact to help us design another great adventure!
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June 2024
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