Rioja

Dear intrepid traveller, worldly wine-guzzler, friend, a word of advice. If you, as we did, plan to visit the bodegas of Rioja as recommended in The World Atlas of Wine, be told that the top producers are hard to visit unless by prior appointment. The majority do not open to the public at all. Tour spaces are limited, and English ones less frequent than you may imagine. And if your name's not down, there really isn't a hope in hell that you'll get in. Unless you are extraordinarily persistent. And that only sometimes works.

We practically had to force our way into Ysios. They wouldn't open up, no matter how hard we knocked. Luckily a delivery of clean linens arrived which they had to admit, so I kept the door open with foot until admittance was granted. The humiliation was worth it. The Ysios 2005 Reserva was very good, and they taste it by the large glass full. By the by, 2001 and 2005 are considered 'great years' in Rioja.

After much deliberation I have split La Rioja into 5 separate posts:

Haro, 29th June & Batallo del Vino

Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, followed by Lunch at Restaurant Alameda

Hotel Viura, Bodega Remelluri & Lunch at Casa Arino, Labastida

Bodega Abel Mendoza Monge, & Casa Toni

Wine Therapy at Gehry's Hotel Marques de Riscal, Elciego

Once you are done, you can return to the main Northern Spain menu here (which will enable you to skip to other places of interest), or go directly to our next stop on route, Lerma here (shortly coming).