La Rioja wine tour: winery and traditional lunch from Bilbao

About this tour

A eight-hour expedition into La Rioja's wine region departing from Bilbao, combining a working winery visit with traditional regional cooking. You'll taste four D.O.Ca. Rioja wines whilst learning production methods, then sit down to a four-course feast of local specialities—blood sausage, piquillo peppers, slow-cooked beans, chorizo potatoes, wood-fired lamb, and Goxua—in a centuries-old restaurant. The drive reveals walled villages and terraced vineyards at a measured tempo, with a guide who knows the landscape's history and flavours.

Highlights

• Four D.O.Ca. Rioja tastings at a family-run winery
• Four-course traditional meal with wine pairings included
• Walled village views and panoramic vineyard landscape
• Guided winery production walkthrough, vineyard to barrel
• Wood-fired lamb chops and regional bean dishes
• Air-conditioned transport with hotel pick-up and drop-off

What to expect

You'll be collected from your Bilbao hotel in the morning for a relaxed drive into wine country. Once at the winery, expect a hands-on tour showing fermentation tanks, barrel rooms, and vine management. The tasting follows—four wines, explained by someone who knows the vintage and terroir. Then you'll move to a traditional dining room for lunch. Each course arrives unhurried: cured meats and peppers, creamy beans, potatoes studded with chorizo, grilled lamb with fresh greens, and a light dessert. Wine pours flow throughout. Afterwards, you can wander Laguardia's narrow streets before heading back to Bilbao by late afternoon.

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