San Sebastian – Donostia Trip Overview
Get to know about the Rioja terroir, from classic Rioja wines to new trends while enjoying a drinking journey full of colors and vineyards along the way throughout the whole day.
THIS EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE because I emphasize meeting “the terroir”, those humble hardworking people passionate about what they do. We will visit very small wineries, from rustic ones with medieval cellars to newer and sophisticated ones.
You are not visiting only just waiters in a wine bar, you will meet the locals, the grower or winemaker and you will see that sparkle in their eyes that betrays the passion and magic that makes them enjoy every moment of their job.
The wine aging system has been revolutionized (back to the past) and today wine is not only aged in oak, stainless steel or concrete barrels.
With your expert guide you will have the chance to buy more wines aged in clay, ceramic or cement eggs.
Additional Info
* Duration: 9 to 10 hours
* Starts: San Sebastian – Donostia, Spain
* Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting San Sebastian – Donostia, Basque Country, Spain
Get to know about the Rioja terroir, from classic Rioja wines to new trends while enjoying a drinking journey full of colors and vineyards along the way throughout the whole day.
THIS EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE because I emphasize meeting “the terroir”, those humble hardworking people passionate about what they do. We will visit very small wineries, from rustic ones with medieval cellars to newer and sophisticated ones.
You are not visiting only just waiters in a wine bar, you will meet the locals, the grower or winemaker and you will see that sparkle in their eyes that betrays the passion and magic that makes them enjoy every moment of their job.
The wine aging system has been revolutionized (back to the past) and today wine is not only aged in oak, stainless steel or concrete barrels.
With your expert guide you will have the chance to buy more wines aged in clay, ceramic or cement eggs.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Earra Tours Basque Country, Alameda del Blvd., 6, 20006 San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain
It will be a pleasure to pick you up at your hotel in San Sebastian (please let us know if you are staying in any other city) with my air-conditioned and heated vehicle.
You will enjoy a pleasant 90 minutes drive to the Rioja wine region and you will be able to see how the landscape will change little by little.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Labastida, Labastida, Province of Alava, Basque Country
Medieval village founded in the 12th century as a town of the Kingdom of Navarre and later of Castile.
It has very interesting old cellars, history of the first wine maker in barrels and old wine presses of 1000 years old.
Taking into account the history, we will visit a rustic winery with 500 years old cellars, where we will look for exceptional and unique wines.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: La Cata del Barrio de la Estación, Av. Vizcaya, 8, 26200 Haro, La Rioja, Spain
Haro, one of the first cities having electricity in Spain because of the wine production. We will walk by this lovely neighborhood admiring the architecture of the classic and oldest wineries.
[The tour is tailor-made, there is always option to visit one of the classic Rioja wineries].
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Laguardia, Laguardia, Province of Alava, Basque Country
The medieval town of Laguardia located on the top of a hill, is the capital of Rioja Alavesa and one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. It was founded in the 10th century as a defense of the Kingdom of Navarre and retains almost intact its medieval layout.
There await the fortified churches of San Juan Bautista and Santa María de los Reyes.
The town keeps many secrets and is entirely pedestrian because underground there are more than 300 tunnels dug hundreds of years ago. We will explain you the origin and the use that is given to them today.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Bodegas Marques de Riscal, 01340 Elciego Spain
Let’s enjoy the views from our secret viewpoint among the vineyards admiring the innovative and avant-garde architecture of the Marqués de Riscal winery designed by the famous Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry, who created a work, which, although full of shapes, is in perfect harmony with the landscape of the area.
Marqués de Riscal is one of the oldest wineries in Rioja since 1858.
THE MARQUIS was one of the first person and winery in Rioja aging wine in oak barrels at the end of the XIX century.
[The tour is tailor-made, there is always option to visit one of the classic Rioja wineries].
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bodegas Ysios, Camino de la Hoya, 01300 Laguardia Spain
We will stop in front of this unique boutique winery to admire the modern architecture designed by the famous Santiago Calatrava surrounded by the dramatic setting of the Sierra de Cantabria.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rioja Alavesa, Álava, Spain
The winery we will visit has centenary cellars, tunnels of more than 500 years old, used in the past as a form of defense against a possible invasion. Today they are put to other uses and let me take you there and show them to you. It is fascinating.
We will also visit some more modern wineries where they all have something in common: excellent wine quality and meeting people who are passionate about what they do. You will personally meet that person who is crazy about their wines and you will feel that spark and love for wine passed down through the generations.
We also will walk in the vineyards, with a glass of wine, understand the terroir with 5 sense experience.
Apart from the good wine we will immerse ourselves in The Wine Valley, which means that during the whole day we will enjoy idyllic places with incredible views, full of autumn colors, traveling mists, rocky mountains and charming villages.
Duration: 6 hours
