Wine Taste Lovers Tour.
No driving, no organising, no language barriers, no worries! On our Rioja odyssey, we used one company, Wine Taste Lovers. Their website can be found here. Firstly, our guide Jose was a joy.
We provided a list of ‘must sees’ and a list of ‘like to see’ on our Wine Taste Lovers tour and Jose was able to accommodate us. However, even if you don’t know what you want to see you can safely leave it to Jose. In fact, he has excellent local knowledge.
After picking us up at our hotel in Elciego we went to our first major ‘must-see’. It was the Frank Gehry designed hotel at Marques de Riscal Bodega and Jose organised a wonderful tour and tasting for us, full details of our visit can be found here.
Bodega Marques de Riscal
With this in mind, one stop that was not on our list was Campo Viejo Bodega. But we were glad we did, so put your trust in Jose and he won’t steer you wrong.
Ever wondered what 70,000 barrels of Rioja looks like? Campo Viejo Bodega
Another major Rioja vineyard we visited was the R. Lopez De Heredia Bodega along with the Zaha Hadid designed decanter.
Of course, Jose’s approach at these wineries was excellent. He would introduce us to the staff and then take an unobtrusive ‘step backwards’ while we tasted but was always on hand to answer any questions.
On a personal note, the Vina Tondonia Reserva here is to die for!
The Zaha Hadid designed decanter – the wine tasting room!
Knowledgeable
Our lack of Spanish was not a problem and Jose’s English was fine. As well as the wineries, Jose took us to some nice scenic spots, one being where my first picture (above) was taken of Marques de Riscal Bodega. All in all, Jose was a knowledgeable and charming host and I would not hesitate to call on his services again for wine tasting in La Rioja!
Wine Taste Lovers tour – Conclusion
In conclusion, offering half day, full day or even several day tours, Wine Taste Lovers can take care of it. You won’t be disappointed, the level of professionalism, enthusiasm and knowledge of Rioja that Jose has is hard to beat. Give him a call or an email, their contact details can be found here
To see more on our Rioja trip click Planning a trip to the Rioja wineries. To learn more about Rioja wine see Rioja Region and its wines
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