This is the second of three parts in our Complete Guide to Cycling Rioja. Follow the links below for Part 1
and Part 3.
We also have
a guide to Gravel Biking in Rioja, if you would like to find out more about the excellent off-road possibilities in the region.
One of the great things about cycling around the Rioja region is that it is not simply about the wine. In fact, even if you don't drink wine, there is still so much to enjoy in the region, in terms of both scenery and some incredible historic sites.
The wineries and vineyards of Rioja are the main attraction for most visitors, and they are located very close together throughout the region, making them ideal to explore by bike. Red wine is the main industry here, with the Tempranillo grape and French oak dominating. But there are also some decent whites which have been growing in the
past few years. Rioja red wine has four categories: Joven (the youngest and cheapest), Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva (the longest aged and most expensive).
On the map we have highlighted some of our favourite wineries, which are centred around several different towns. This wine-cycling tour visits some of the most renowned vineyards, utilising quiet routes throughout.
Haro - The Wine Capital
Probably the most important town
for wineries is Haro. Here you can do tours and tastings of some of the most important wine producers in Spain, including the likes of Muga, CVNE, Lopez de Herencia Viña Tondonia and Roda. And they are all situated right next to each other, on the banks of the Ebro River.
Muga is our favourite place for the wine tour, as they control the entire process themselves.
The tour therefore includes a fascinating section about how they make their barrels (from going to France to choose the best oak trees - to getting the right
amount of toasting on the finished barrel).
Museums & Smaller Vineyards
From Haro, heading east, the most important wineries are situated to the north of the Ebro (however, one important stop - the regional Museum of Wine Culture - is actually situated in the town of Briones on the south bank of the river).
Lopez de Haro is situated just outside the town of San Vicente, while the small villages of Samaniego (Bodegas Ostatu and Baigorri) and Baños de Ebro are worth visiting. But the next two major centres are Laguardia and Eltziego.
Wine Tour & Tasting at Muga
Laguardia & Eltziego
Laguardia is home to two of the most architecturally impressive buildings in Rioja - the Santiago Calatrava designed Bodegas Ysios, and also the newer and idiosyncratic Eguren Ugarte. A little
further south in Eltziego is probably the most famous winery in Spain - Marques de Riscal. Housed in a stylish building designed by Frank Gehry, the Marques de Riscal winery also houses
a Michelin star restaurant and very expensive hotel.
The hotel at Marques de Riscal, in our opinion, is very overpriced compared with some other excellent ones in the area (for example, Los Agustinos in Haro, Parador in Santo Domingo and Hospederia de los Parajes in Laguardia, offer fantastic accommodation
at a fraction of the cost). The wine tour and tasting, however, is excellent and you can also go on an independent tour of the building.
Eguren Ugarte Winery Hotel & Vineyard
Cenicero & Logroño
Further south, the town of Cenicero is another major wine centre, with Marques de Caceres and Bodegas Riojanas among the biggest names. One unique place worth a visit in Cenicero is the Valentín Pascual bodegas. Here is one of the
only places remaining in Rioja where wine is produced in the 'traditional' way (i.e. by crushing the grapes with feet rather than machinery). You can participate in the crushing and get a feel for how wine production
was in the region over 100 years ago.
Finally, on the outskirts of the capital Logroño are some of the biggest wineries - at least in terms of quantity, if not perhaps quality. These include Campo Viejo and Franco Españolas and have some of the most extensive organized tours. In Logroño, however, we would recommend visiting the bars and restaurants
in the lively city centre, where you can sample glasses of wine from all across the region.
Exploring Other Options
In addition to these major centres and well known vineyards, there are also hundreds of smaller independent wineries dotted around the region. Some of these organize independent tours and tastings, and most would
be happy to have a chat (perhaps except in the middle of the harvest season!) if you see something interesting as you cycle past. It is indeed the quantity of these small wineries (often owning just a single vineyard) and village co-operatives, that make Rioja such a charming and unique wine region.
These grapes in Cenicero are still crushed traditionally - by being stamped on!
Visiting the Wineries
Most of the wineries listed organise daily tastings and visits to the bodega throughout the year. If you plan on visiting numerous wineries, you probably won't want to do the tour at each one, as it can get a bit repetitive. Every single one
has something unique and interesting, so you can't really go wrong whichever you choose. However, if you want to really narrow it down, then we
recommend Muga (for the detailed information about the barrel making) and Eguren Ugarte (for the really cool network of tunnels) for doing the full tour.
Marques de Riscal is another very popular tour because you can also tour around
the spectacular Frank Gehry designed building. And Valentin Pascual is a quirky choice if you want to (quite literally) get your hands dirty and participate in making wine the traditional way.
Most wineries run the full tours in English, although sometimes not as frequently as in Spanish, and the tours last between an hour and hour and a half. The tours generally cost between €10 and €20, depending on where you go and how many different wines you wish to taste at the end.
In addition to doing the full tour, you can also pop in to the wineries for a tasting. You can have a quick chat explaining what you are looking for and see what they recommend. Most wineries will also sell the wine directly
to you if you are a fan and wish to buy a few bottles.
You can taste both red and white wines at most vineyards
One important thing to remember, particularly if you plan to cycle between the wineries, is that you must not exceed the drink-drive alcohol limit in Spain. The limit is 0.5mg per litre of alcohol in the blood and 0.25mg per litre in breath. This equates to around one normal sized glass of wine - although of course it is rare
to drink a full size glass when tasting. In any case, if you plan to visit several wineries it is probably a good idea to spit and taste, rather than guzzling down every last drop.
The police are very unlikely to pull you over on a bicycle and test you (although it does happen occasionally), but for your own safety it pays to be cautious. You can sample plenty more glasses
in the local bars and bodegas at the end of the day after all!
Wineries Cycling Route
View interactive route and download on Ride with GPS
This multi day cycling route visits many of the top wineries in the Rioja region. It is around 120km (80 miles) long, and begins in the town of Haro and finishes in Logroño. We would recommend spending three or four days, perhaps more if you
wish to stop at all of the vineyards along the route! There is plenty of accommodation, including at some of the vineyards themselves - such as Eguren Ugarte and Marques de Riscal. Towns such as Haro, Cenicero, Eskuernaga, Laguardia, Logroño and Eltziego also all have several quality hotels.
The vast majority of this route is paved, with just some short unpaved but well maintained sections, and large parts of the route have been tried and tested on our
cycle holiday in the region.
Please note that all of the suggestions and routes on this page are for information purposes only
and are to be used at your own risk. In particular remember not to cycle after consuming over the legal limit of alcohol!!
Below is a link to the route on Ride With GPS so you can download the GPS track and see the distances and altitude profile in more detail.
Rolling roads through the vineyards
If you would prefer us to arrange a tour for you, then we would be delighted to welcome you on our guided
and self-guided cycling holidays around the region. At the bottom of the page you can find more information about these, and click on the links to view the itinerary.
For further reading, there is also part three of our guide to cycling in Rioja - which focuses on the history of the region.
Spain
