Rioja & Rioja Alavesa. Five Stages with España Discovery

Bodegas Baigorri

First stage: Visit Muga Winery, in Haro, La Rioja. Page 243 in España Discovery Guide & Map. The parking of the winery is large and allows you to park during the visit. For security reasons it is not possible to spend the night in the parking but a few meters from the winery, there is a quiet public parking close to the city center and that allows overnight for one night, this is the overnight point that appears in the guide.

Bodegas Muga

Bodegas Muga make their own barrels in French, American and Hungarian oak, giving them their unique characteristics.

Second stage: Logroño. Stop in the public area for motorhomes and vans. Logroño Service Area: GPS 42º28'45 "N, 2º27'26" W. It is also possible to park and spend the night in the parking next to the area, under the mulberry trees. At this point there is the bus stop that takes us to the goal of the day: Laurel Street, right in the center of Logroño!

Laurel Street is the most emblematic gastronomic street of Logroño. The story says "For years the bars were established in this street. They offered local wines and small portions of sausage or cheese. Little by little, they specialized in different pinchos. The people who used to visit the place baptized it as the 'Path of the Elephants', because those who drink wine in each bar ended up happily drunk". Nowadays it has become one of the areas with the highest concentration of gastronomic specialties, wine and tapas throughout Spain.

Laguardia

Underground Cellars in Laguardia

Third stage: Laguardia, Villa Lucía (Wine Thematic Center) and Eguren Ugarte Winery.
Follow direction Laguardia. Park and take a walk through its narrow and historic streets "Built on the ruins of Biasteri, an old euskérico town. Laguardia was founded by the Navarrese king Sancho Abarca and was the cradle of kings and poets. The town is also famous for its wines". The tour is full of churches, underground cellars and caves. Essential to visit Villa Lucía, Wine Theme Center, page 268 in the España Discovery guide, at this point it is also possible to spend the night.

Eguren Ugarte Winery

In the afternoon continue to the overnight point: Bodegas Eguren Ugarte, page 276 of the guide España Discovery. Visit the shop of the winery. We suggest a bottle of Martín Cendoya from 2011 delicious wine. Grape from Finca El Monte (Labastida). Tempranillo 80%, graciano 15%, mazuelo 5%, 15 months in new French oak barrels. Overnight in at vineyard, of course.

Bodegas Baigorri Restaurant

Fourth stage: Gastronomic Experience in Bodegas Baigorri, Samaniego.
Continue to Samaniego to Bodegas Baigorri. It is necessary to book in advance to visit. Tasting and a fantastic gastronomic experience in one of the most spectacular wineries in Rioja Alavesa and Spain, Bodegas Baigorri! Page 274 of the España Discovery guide. The visit begins around 12 noon. This is how they describe themselves: "A unique enclave of Rioja Alavesa with an incomparable environment for growing grapes. A gigantic glass box is what we see from the outside when we look at the Bodega Baigorri building. Surrounded by an immense sea of vineyards overlooking the town of Samaniego and under the Sierra de Cantabria surprises visitors. After admiring the beauty of the surroundings they discover the seven underground floors of one of the most spectacular wineries in Spain" Overnight on the spot.

Bodegas Baigorri

Last stage: continue to the motorhome service area of Elciego GPS 42'30 "54N, 2º36'55" W. Breakfast at Gastrobar Asador Fortuna, in the center of the town of Elciego and very close to the area. Coffee, eggs, sandwich and olives. Walk through the town and back to the road to continue discovering Spain on board your motorhome.

Motorhome Service Area in Elciego

Route made during January 2018.

Buy España Discovery guide & Map here