Rioja Wine Tours
Rioja is Spain’s great red-wine country, Tempranillo aged for years in oak, and a day there visits the historic bodegas of Haro’s station district and the Gehry-designed cellar at Elciego, from San Sebastián, Bilbao or Logroño. Compare the top-rated tours below, then read our notes on the wine and the day.
Rioja wine tours and tastings
Rioja day trips from Bilbao and San Sebastián
Formats: full-day wine tours from Bilbao or San Sebastián with two or three bodegas and lunch; architecture-and-wine days taking in Marqués de Riscal; tastings from Logroño; visits to the historic Haro cellars.
What you taste: Rioja from joven through Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, mostly Tempranillo with Garnacha, at family bodegas and the great houses, with local food.
Price: 29 dollars for a Logroño tasting; 90 to 110 for a day trip with transport; 280 and up for architecture or private days.
The wine
Rioja is Tempranillo country, blended with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo, and it is defined by oak ageing: Crianza spends at least a year in barrel and two in total, Reserva three years with one in oak, Gran Reserva five with two in oak. The region splits into the cooler Rioja Alta, the Rioja Alavesa on the Basque side, and the warmer Rioja Oriental. The style runs from bright modern reds to the classic, savoury, long-aged wines the great houses are known for.
Where the bodegas are
Haro, in the Rioja Alta, has the barrio de la estación, the station district, where a cluster of historic bodegas grew up beside the railway, walkable from one to the next. Elciego, in the Alavesa, has Marqués de Riscal and its Frank Gehry hotel, the region’s architectural set piece. Logroño, the capital, is the base for tastings and the Calle Laurel, a street of pinchos bars.
How to visit
San Sebastián and Bilbao are about an hour from the Rioja Alavesa, and full-day tours with transport visit two or three bodegas with lunch; Logroño is in the middle of the vineyards for those staying closer. Harvest is late September into October, the busiest and best time. From the coast, pair it with our San Sebastián pintxos tours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do Rioja as a day trip from San Sebastián or Bilbao?
Yes; both are about an hour from the Rioja Alavesa, and day tours with transport and lunch are the easy way.
What is the difference between Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva?
Increasing time in oak and bottle before release: Crianza the youngest, Gran Reserva aged at least five years and made only in good vintages.
Where should I base myself?
Logroño or Haro to stay among the vineyards; San Sebastián or Bilbao if you want the coast and a day trip.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.