Rural Spain Properties

AREA GUIDES >> RURAL PROPERTIES IN LA RIOJA

At a glance
Home to Spain’s most famous wine, this northern region is the smallest in Spain, scattered with vineyards, market gardens, and towns and villages clustered around churches and monasteries.

photoThe key towns are the regional capital Logroño and the wine produccing mecca that is Haro.

Properties
As you would expect Rioja has more than it’s fair share of farmhouses with vineyards. There are also plenty of beautiful villages such as Nájera and Ezcaray with traditional style townhouses.

Airports
Rioja has no airport but is surrounded by airports at Bilbao, Vitoria, Santander and Zaragoza all of which are reasonably close.

Climate
While Rioja Baja is hot and arid whilst Rioja Alta is milder and rainier.

A spot of history
Since medieval times, pilgrims have crossed the province on their way to Santiago de la Compostela, stopping in particular at Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Legend has it the town’s namesake, 11th-century St Dominic, performed countless miracles. Today a live cock and hen are still kept in an ornate cage in the town’s cathedral in honour of the time the saint changed a roast chicken into a live chicken.

Culture
As you’d expect, La Rioja wine  inspires many a fiesta - La Vendimia in Logrono in September sees residents treading the grapes before sampling some of the best wines; at La Batalla del Vino in Haro in June everyone lets their hair down by slinging wine at each other.

photoFrank Gehry, the creative brain behind Bilbao’s Guggenheim musuem has designed the new Marques de Riscal hotel and restaurant in Elciego. The building follows the design of the Guggenheim and is only open to guests to diners.

There is an excellent three-floor wine museum in Haro, opened in 1991 at the height of a modernisation process in the region’s winemaking.

Food and drink
Rioja wine, now exported to 80 countries, is of course best (and cheapest) in its homeland.

photoMany Riojas are similar to claret. Although 85 percent of Rioja production is red, the region also produces reasonable white and rosé wines.

Enjoy a bottle with the region’s cuisine that is often simple but full of flavour given the abundance of good quality local produce. Warming stews, roast lamb and goat and trout are common on Riojan menus.

Natural beauty
The river Ebro divides La Rioja into the Rioja Alta, the higher part of the region, and the Rioja Baja, which is lower and warmer. In the mountains, there is great walking, hiking and even skiing (at Valdezcaray) and there is a nature reserve at Sierra La Cebollera.