Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A 5-stop route through Spain
The character of this trip
Big country, long horizons
Spain's wine country is high, wide and sun-baked, and its best trips are built on contrast: cool Atlantic whites in the north-west, old-vine reds across the interior plateau, sherry country in the far south. Distances run longer than in France or Italy, so trust a few distinct places over many close ones — and let the day run on Spanish time, with a late lunch, a later dinner and cellars that are cool, old and deep.
Route length
Stops
5
Total driving
~396 km
Behind the wheel
7h 11min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
Notable producers
- Bodegas Palacios Remondo — Alfaro; Álvaro Palacios's family estate, a leader in the zone's modern reputation.
- Ontañón — Logroño; a large producer with vineyards across the eastern zone.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~78 km · 1h 25min to the next stop
From Rioja Oriental, the route turns toward Rioja Alavesa. The climate here: continental, with atlantic influence.
Notable producers
- Artadi — Laguardia; a pioneer of single-vineyard, terroir-focused Rioja.
- Remírez de Ganuza — Samaniego; meticulous, old-vine single-vineyard wines.
- Marqués de Riscal — Elciego; one of Rioja's oldest and most famous estates.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~27 km · 29 min to the next stop
The climate barely changes between Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta: continental, with atlantic influence. The difference is underfoot, in the soils and the slopes.
Notable producers
- La Rioja Alta, S.A. — Haro; a historic bodega known for long-aged, traditional Reserva and Gran Reserva.
- R. López de Heredia — Haro; among the most traditional producers in all of Spain.
- CVNE — Haro; a major historic house, also known as Cune.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~172 km · 3h 8min to the next stop
The route continues from Rioja Alta to Ribera del Duero, and the climate shifts underfoot: extreme continental.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Vega Sicilia — Founded in 1864; its Único made the region's reputation.
- Pingus — Peter Sisseck's tiny, cult estate.
- Pesquera — Alejandro Fernández's estate, which raised the region's profile.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~119 km · 2h 9min to the next stop
Leaving Ribera del Duero behind, the road reaches Rueda — continental, high plateau.
Notable producers
- Naia — Old-vine Verdejo from a respected small estate.
- Ossian — Ancient, ungrafted Verdejo vines, farmed and vinified with unusual care for the appellation.
- Belondrade y Lurton — A Bordeaux-trained pioneer of barrel-fermented, age-worthy Verdejo.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.