Rioja Alavesa is one of the three subregions of the DOCa Rioja: 15 municipalities with Laguardia as their capital, Tempranillo-led reds and 61 wineries on the official Wine Route list. It suits a weekend that pairs headline architecture (Gehry in Elciego, Calatrava in Laguardia) with the family cellars dug beneath Laguardia's old town.
Official wine route: Ruta del Vino de Rioja Alavesa
Wineries to visit
| Winery | Town | Visit | Price | Booking | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marqués de Riscal | Elciego | 90-min guided tour + tasting of 3 wines | from €30 | Required | Official site — Marqués de Riscal |
| Bodegas Ysios | Laguardia | Winery (Calatrava building) and vineyard tour + tasting | on request | Required | Official site — Bodegas Ysios |
| Bodegas Baigorri | Samaniego | Guided tour + tasting of 2 wines with 2 pintxos | from €25 | Required | Official site — Bodegas Baigorri |
| Bodegas Campillo | Laguardia | Winery and vineyard tour + tasting | on request | Required | Official site — Bodegas Campillo |
| Eguren Ugarte | Páganos (Laguardia) | Winery and cellar tour + tasting of 3 wines with a snack | from €22 | Required | Official site — Eguren Ugarte |
| Bodegas Luis Cañas | Villabuena de Álava | Guided winery and vineyard tour + tasting | on request | Required | Official site — Bodegas Luis Cañas |
| Bodegas Izadi | Villabuena de Álava | 75-min tour + tasting of 3 wines with gourmet bites | from €30 | Required | Official site — Bodegas Izadi |
| Bodegas Casa Primicia | Laguardia | 75-min guided tour + tasting of 2 wines | from €18 | Required | Official site — Bodegas Casa Primicia |
| Bodegas Valdelana | Elciego | Museum-winery tour + wine tasting | from €20 | Required | Official site — Bodegas Valdelana |
| Remírez de Ganuza | Samaniego | Small-group guided tour + tasting of 3 wines (1h30) | from €50 | Required | Official site — Remírez de Ganuza |
| Bodega El Fabulista | Laguardia | Guided or theatrical tour of an underground cellar + tasting | on request | — | Official site — Bodega El Fabulista |
| Viña Real (CVNE) | Laguardia | Winery and vineyard tour + tasting | on request | Required | Official site — Viña Real (CVNE) |
Verified on 26-10-2026 · source: rutadelvinoderiojaalavesa.com
Bookable experiences
GetYourGuide
From Bilbao: La Rioja Wineries Day Trip with Wine Tastings
View and book
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Where to stay
Winery hotel
Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Elciego
See it in Los 100Frank Gehry-designed hotel inside Marqués de Riscal's City of Wine.
Winery hotel
Hotel Eguren Ugarte
Páganos (Laguardia)
Check availabilityHotel inside the Eguren Ugarte winery, with room + tour and tasting packages.
Hotel Viura
Villabuena de Álava
See it in Los 100Design hotel (not a winery hotel) in the village with the most wineries in the area.
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1- or 2-day route
Day 1. Laguardia and Páganos
Laguardia's old town is pedestrianised, so leave the car in one of its three public car parks and stop at the tourist office (Calle Mayor 52, Casa Garcetas) for the list of wineries open to visitors. The streets sit on top of family-owned cellars; El Fabulista, on Plaza San Juan, runs guided and theatrical tours of its own. Before heading underground, look up at the painted portico of Santa María de los Reyes, one of the few polychrome church portals left in Spain.
- Morning: a 75-minute tour with two wines at Bodegas Casa Primicia in Laguardia. On Mondays and Sundays it only opens in the morning.
- Afternoon: the Calatrava-designed Bodegas Ysios, or the winery-and-vineyard tour at Viña Real (CVNE), both in Laguardia.
- Overnight: Hotel Eguren Ugarte in Páganos, built into the winery itself. Its cellar tour with three wines and a snack starts at €22, and the hotel sells room-plus-tour packages.
Day 2. Elciego, Samaniego and Villabuena de Álava
- Elciego: a 90-minute guided tour with three wines at Marqués de Riscal, then the museum winery at Bodegas Valdelana if time allows.
- Samaniego: two wines and two pintxos at Bodegas Baigorri, or the small-group tour at Remírez de Ganuza, which opens Monday to Saturday (Sundays on request).
- Villabuena de Álava: finish at Bodegas Izadi or Bodegas Luis Cañas.
To sleep in Elciego instead, Hotel Marqués de Riscal is the Frank Gehry building inside the winery's City of Wine. Hotel Viura in Villabuena de Álava is a design hotel rather than a winery hotel.
Every winery on this route asks you to book ahead, except El Fabulista, where only some tours require it. Sort out reservations before you set off.
When to go
Harvest: September · October
Harvest runs through September and October, but it has moved much earlier. 2026 was one of the earliest on record: the first pickers were hired around 24 August and the main harvest got going around 15 September, whereas twenty years ago it started around 10 October. If you want to see picking in full swing, check how the season is going before you book.
The Rioja Alavesa Harvest Festival has taken place every September since 1994, in a different village each year. In 2026 it fell on Sunday 13 September in Kripan, with grape treading, a tasting and a communal lunch.
Autumn doesn't end with the harvest. In 2026 the Wine Route runs its Enobus on 7 and 28 November (book through Visit Rioja Alavesa) and heritage walks until 21 November.
Check opening days winery by winery: Casa Primicia only opens in the morning on Mondays and Sundays, and Remírez de Ganuza welcomes visitors Monday to Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to book winery visits in Rioja Alavesa?
Yes. Every winery in our list asks for an appointment, including Marqués de Riscal, Ysios, Baigorri and Izadi; at El Fabulista only some tours require one. Don't count on getting in without a booking.
- How much does a winery visit cost in Rioja Alavesa?
Between €18 and €50 per person for each winery's entry-level tour, based on the starting prices we checked in October 2026. Casa Primicia starts at €18, Valdelana at €20, Eguren Ugarte at €22, Baigorri at €25, Marqués de Riscal and Izadi at €30, and Remírez de Ganuza at €50. Ysios, Campillo, Luis Cañas, Viña Real and El Fabulista don't publish a price we could verify.
- How do I get to Laguardia?
By car, Laguardia is under 20 km from Logroño on the N-232a and 48 km from Vitoria-Gasteiz over the Vitoria pass (A-2124a). The old town is pedestrianised and there are three public car parks.
- Can I do it without a car?
Partly. In Laguardia you can walk around the old town and visit cellars such as El Fabulista, and there are organised options: a Laguardia walking tour with a winery visit on Civitatis and a day trip from Bilbao on GetYourGuide. In November 2026 the Wine Route runs its Enobus on the 7th and 28th. For the other villages, you really need a car.
- When is the best time to visit Rioja Alavesa?
September and October, during the harvest. In 2026 the main harvest started around 15 September and the Harvest Festival took place on 13 September in Kripan; it moves to a different village every year.
- Where can I stay at a winery in Rioja Alavesa?
At Hotel Marqués de Riscal, Frank Gehry's building in Elciego, or Hotel Eguren Ugarte in Páganos, which sells room packages with a tour and tasting. Hotel Viura in Villabuena de Álava is a design hotel, not a winery hotel.
