We will visit Rioja also this year to attend the wine harvest. If you want to participate contact us for more information. The availability is limited. This year we will fly into Bilbao so that we can visit more of the region, including San Sebastian.
In October 2016, 15 people drove by minibus to Rioja from Altea for some unforgettable days in Rioja. Driving enabled people to view the spectacular scenery which Spain has to offer, as soon as you get away from the coast (which most of us are stuck at) the scenery is so different. We also made some stops on the way to enjoy some of the many Spanish towns on this journey. Arriving around 19:00 there was time for a quick shower, then we had dinner at the hotel with the bodega, trying out their wines paired with amazing local food.
The following morning we drove to the bodega of Antonio Alcaraz to learn more about the process of making wine. Starting with how to harvest the grapes, which was a chilly experience as it was a rainy day, but we quickly entered the bodega to learn more about the wine making itself. People were able to test wines from all stages of the fermentation, which was very interesting. After the tour we had a big lunch (for hours) with wine tasting of course.
The next day we visited the famous bodega of Marques de Riscal for a guided tour, being such a big wine producer they also host some really professional tours. This is highly recommended or wine lovers. We after this met the owners of Bodegas Antonio Alcaraz for a final lunch, where we had entertainment from one of the couples attending the wine trip, more food and wine of course, and the we left Rioja going back to Altea. On the way home we had time to let all the impressions sink in, if not a wine lover before such a trip you will for sure be one after.
Over the years we have made numerous trips to the charming family owned Bodega Santa Margarita in Castilla-La Mancha. Being close to Altea we can do day trips, but we often try to stay one night so that our wine lovers can attend a traditional family meal in the evening, enjoying some great wine together with the family of the bodega.
We try to visit the bodega during the wine harvest, where everyone then will help harvesting grapes, but outside the harvest season there is plenty to see as well. From the grape harvest we move into the production where we sort the grapes, then the grapes juice is extracted which is the start of the wine making process. The scenery in this region is fantastic, and well worth the trip itself. If you have a group of people interested to visit this region contact us, we can customize an event for your group, or you can attend one of our excursions. We have had events for businesses and birthday, all with great success.
Tony Margiotta