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La Rioja Bodega/Winery Recommendations

We will be in La Rioja for 3 day/nights in mid-September 2026, probably basing ourselves in Haro. This is part of a month-long trip that will have us in Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Picos de Europa (Las Arenas de Cabrales), Seville, Granada, and Ronda. La Rioja is a short part of the trip. In Haro, it looks like we can walk to several wineries in or near the "station neighborhood." We will likely do only one actual winery tour and tasting and then order at the winery bars at other locations. For the winery tour, we are leaning toward La Rioja Alta. For tasting in the winery bars/tasting rooms, we are leaning toward C.V.N.E., Muga, and Roda. We will also likely do a day trip to Logrono w/ a stop at Marques de Murrieta and then a bar/restaurant tour of Calle Laurel and Calle San Juan. I would love to hear from others about the following questions:
(1) I plan to make a reservation for whichever bodega we plan to do the winery tour/tasting (currently leaning toward La Rioja Alta). Do we also need reservations at other bodegas where we plan to order a flight or a glass at the winery bar? If doing only one winery tour, do you recommend somewhere other than La Rioja Alta?
(2) Any other bodegas we should be considering in or close to Haro? We will have a car, but plan to use it pretty sparingly if at all while wine tasting due to alcohol consumption.
(3) At Marques de Murrieta, are either the small food plate pairings (125 E and up) or the formal tasting (75 E) worth it? Or should we just go to the winery bar, booking the 9 E reservation?
(4) Any specific restaurant recommendations in Haro or Logrono? We are adventurous eaters who like anything from street food to fine dining.

Thank you!

Posted by
8611 posts

With the lower limit in Spain to be considered impaired, you’re wise not to drink and drive, or have a designated driver.

When we did wine tastings we were in Olite and walked to the bodegas. The car never moved.

Ensure that anybody who may drive is on the rental contract and has an IDP.

Posted by
1059 posts

You are missing Rioja Alavesa (the Basque part of Rioja D.O.Ca), where they produce a "maceración carbónica" wine (for many, the real expression of the grapes, not "polluted" by the oak taste), the traditional wine in this area. There are many small bodegas (wineries) where they can show you how they´ve made wine for generations in their centuries-old underground cellars. Your choices are fine, but it´s limited to just wine tasting in the big names, missing (IMO) the small, real, less touristy wineries where they can show you their much smaller productions.

Posted by
764 posts

I agree with @MikelBasqueGuide's point about a visit to Haro limits your experience to some of the big name wineries.

I suggest visiting Briones, near to Haro. It is one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of Spain". There are several wineries in the town you can visit. At the foot of the village is the Vivanco Museum and Winery, in La Rioja it is a must see.

Just across the river is San Vicente de la Sonsierra which also has several wineries you can visit.

You say that you will be there in mid September. That is the harvest time, and the bodegas will be busy doing that so you may find there are some problems getting a visit time. The 21st is San Mateo and Logroño will be in full fiestas probably from the 19th.

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you, all, for your responses. This is helpful input. The benefit I see of basing ourselves in Haro for wine-tasting, assuming wineries are actually open for visits when we will be there, is walkability, but I hear what you are saying about other areas. We are only planning on one day for the Haro wineries and restaurants, planning to then navigate to other areas for tastings elsewhere. Do you have specific recommendations for wineries in or near Briones that are good to visit? And do you think that is do-able by bus from Haro or would we need to arrange for a taxi?