Into the Vines: Rioja Alavesa
Bordering the Basque Country is La Rioja, another of Spain’s autonomous communities. Named for the Río Oja, a tributary of the Ebro River, La Rioja is well known as the home of the Rioja wine region. This winegrowing region is comprised of three subzones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental, and Rioja Alavesa.
The smallest of these subzones—Rioja Alavesa—lies on the Basque side of the border. Yet despite its geography, Rioja Alavesa is culturally more aligned with La Rioja. Rioja Alavasa is also home to three premier wine-growing centers—Samaniego, Laguardia, and Elciego—meaning that Basque Country technically produces some of the world’s most prestigious wines. On our Basque Country + Rioja Tour, we visit them all.
The medieval hill town of Laguardia—Rioja Alavesa’s picturesque capital and one of the area’s most unique destinations— sits upon more than 300 subterranean cellars, or calados. Carved from rock during the 16th century to protect villagers during times of turmoil, the caves also offered the ideal environment for aging wine. Today, a handful of wineries offer tours and tastings in these historic cellars—a striking contrast to ultra-modern wineries that have cropped up in the region since Spain joined the European Union in the 1980s.
In Rioja Alavesa, the culinary traditions of the Rioja wine region emerge in inviting tabernas and pinxtos bars. Menus feature house-cured chorizo, jamón Ibérico, savory empanadas. and raciones: a sample spread of tapas perfect for sharing. Tempranillo takes center stage here, thriving in Rioja Alvesa’s rich, limestone soils and cool Atlantic climate. Glasses of the luscious, fruit-forward wine pair perfectly with the rustic fare in a sensory celebration that reflects the region’s agricultural bounty and warm hospitality.
