Rioja Alavesa: a journey to the land of wine

16/04/2012

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The Wine Routes of Spain tourism initiative represents an outstanding range of products which adhere to the quality standards established by the Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVIN) and forms part of the select ‘Product Club’. The Rioja Alavesa Wine Route, certified as a club member in 2006, is a venture shared by a region whose life has revolved around wine for centuries and where more than 100 different types of establishments – bodegas, restaurants, hotels, museums… – have joined forces in order to enhance the experience of tourists visiting the area and offer them an increasingly sophisticated and personalised range of services.

The Wine Routes of Spain venture was created in 2001 by ACEVIN with the sponsorship of the Spanish National Tourism Agency. As a result an innovative cultural and gastronomic product was developed based on the integration of tourism resources and services in any given wine region, focusing on authenticity and charged with the mission of providing unique travel experiences. The whole project is based on the comprehensive socioeconomic development of the regions in question, the cooperation between public and private entities, and the enhancement of the wine culture and identity of each individual region.

The Rioja Alavesa Wine Route, due to its modest dimensions and easy access, is a destination which invites visitors to explore every last corner, while enjoying wine, nature, art, excellent cuisine, and the welcome of a local population for whom hospitality is a fundamental value. In addition, the region also offers visitors a comprehensive activities catalogue which has includes something for every season of the year.

The landscape, which is dominated by 13,500 hectares of vineyards and dotted with medieval towns, runs down from the terraced slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria to the left bank of the River Ebro. The region’s privileged microclimate, ideal for vine cultivation, has given rise to a centuries-old culture in which wine and everything surrounding it have become a way of life, wherein, one way or other, every single one of the region’s inhabitants participate; resulting in the internationally recognised wines produced in La Rioja Alavesa (underDOC Rioja).