Wine Touring in Rioja Oriental

Rioja Oriental

Spain’s largest sub-region, and also its newest wine appellation (2018), the Rioja Oriental (Eastern Rioja) has been undergoing a winemaking transformation the past several years as a new generation of winemakers have sought to reclaim the long abandoned higher ground, bringing about a rebirth of the native Garnacha grape. Orginally known as the Rioja Baja, the Rioja Oriental begins just to the east of Logroño when you cross the Río Leza, continuing southeast along the Ebro River to Alfaro, a distance of some 70 kms. The region to the south and southeast is strikingly different of what you find west of Logroño, with more of the Mediterranean influence than the Rioja Alavesa and Alta. It is the warmest, driest and windiest part of Rioja, tending to have hotter and drier summers and colder winters, which traditionally produce stronger reds. This sub-region, largely flat and expansive, includes a narrow strip of the rich Navarran countryside to the north, the Navarre Rioja Alta, and is the largest wine producing region of Rioja, with over 24,000 hectares of vineyards, or 40% of Rioja’s total wine production. It is also an area where vegetables reign supreme on both sides of the Ebro river.

Full of traditional family-run wineries mixed with larger producers, many based in the Alavesa and Alta, the Rioja Oriental offers visitors a wide selection of possibities, including festivals like the 500-year-old tradition of the Bread and Cheese Festival in Quel in early August, and outstanding gastronomy throughout the region.

The Rioja Oriental has yet to attract any more upscale hotels like those found in the Rioja Alavesa and Alta, but if you are planning on staying in the area while wine touring then you can chack out the 3-star Hotel Palacios in Alfama. The 2-star Hotel Ciudad de Calahorra and Parador Marco Fabio Quintiliano are in Calahorra. The Hotel Parras, El Molino del Cidacos, with a pool, and Casa Rural Las Pedrolas (1760) are in Arnedillo. The Hotel Virrey, ibis Styles La Rioja Arnedo and Hotel Restaurante Victoria are in Arnedo. The Casa Rural La Zaranda and the more upscale Casa de la Condesa (16th-century) are both in El Redal, the gateway to the enchanted Valle de Ocón.