What are the wines like?
You will find red, rosé and white wines. The reds have fresh, intense aromas, with vivid colours and are fresh and fruity on the palate. The wines are well-balanced with the Tempranillo grape variety predominating, although there is also a notable presence of Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha, all of excellent quality and flavour.The rosés encompass a complete range of colours and stand out for their intense bouquet and fruity flavour. The predominant varieties are Garnacha and Tempranillo. The range of colours is also characteristic of the white wines. They are fruity on the palate and surprising on the nose with fresh fruit aromas. Among the whites, the predominant variety is Viura, although Tempranillo is becoming more and more popular.
What I can find
There are numerous wineries with programmed tours of their facilities and vineyards to learn about the wine-production along the route first hand. You will have the opportunity to try some of the local cuisine, prepared with some of the highly-regarded local products, such as the extra virgin olive oil or the pears, both with a protected designation of origin, as well as the mushrooms and cauliflower. We recommend sampling the fardelejos, a typical sweet from this region, made from a base of ground almonds and pastry.If you are planning a few days to cover the Rioja Oriental Wine Route, you will encounter legendary castles, itineraries that follow the footsteps of dinosaurs, ancient Iberian Celtic settlements, old railway tracks that have been turned into hiking paths surrounded by pure nature or even some surprising caves dug out of the rock.
How to get here
There are several airports in the vicinity. The nearest is in Agoncillo, in the middle of the route with direct connections to Madrid. Also the airports at Zaragoza (100 kilometres away) and Bilbao (around 150 kilometres) offer numerous international flight connections.Another option is by train. The main stations are Alfaro and Calahorra. Also, the station in the capital of La Rioja, Logroño, is approximately 20 kilometres away. From here you can find various connections with stops along the Rioja Oriental Wine Route, such as Agoncillo, Alcanadre and Rincón de Soto.Finally, if you are travelling by car, the AP-68 motorway and the N-232 highway cover the route and are linked to cities like Logroño, Zaragoza and Bilbao.
