Travel coverage aimed at Londoners has been spotlighting the Rioja route, and it's easy to see why. Spain's most famous wine region sits a short flight away and offers something rare: world-class wineries you can tour in the morning, medieval hill towns by afternoon, and tasting menus that cost a fraction of what you'd pay in the capital.
Rioja stretches along the Ebro river in northern Spain, with Logrono as its practical base. The region splits into three zones — Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental — each with a slightly different character. The Alta, around Haro, is home to some of the oldest and grandest bodegas, while the Alavesa side, in Basque Country, is where you'll find the show-stopping architecture: Frank Gehry's titanium-clad Marques de Riscal hotel and Zaha Hadid's striking pavilion at Bodegas Honoria. Even if you're not a wine nerd, these buildings alone justify the trip.
Logrono itself is the unsung hero. Calle Laurel, a lane in the old town, is lined with tapas bars where the local custom is simple: order a small plate and a glass, then move on to the next place. A decent night out there costs less than a round in most London pubs. Add in the Camino de Santiago pilgrims passing through, a handsome cathedral, and riverside walks, and the city works as a weekend destination even before you step into a vineyard.
Wineries range from family-run operations where the owner pours your tasting personally, to sprawling estates with booked-out tours and restaurants. Many offer visits for roughly €15-€40, and it's worth booking ahead, especially for the big names in Haro. Autumn is harvest season, when the region is at its most atmospheric and the vineyards turn copper and red.
For travellers, the appeal is practical as much as romantic. Bilbao airport is under an hour and a half away by car or bus, with regular direct flights from the UK, making a long weekend entirely realistic. Once there, hiring a car gives you the freedom to hop between bodegas — or book a driver, since tastings add up. This is the kind of trip that suits couples, small groups of friends, and anyone who likes their holidays with a bit of food and culture folded in, rather than a beach and a buffet. Credit: Secret London.
