A group of 8 long-time friends (4 husband-wife couples, who all went to college together and are now in our late 50s) traveled to La Rioja in early September 2017. We are all well-traveled internationally and knowledgeable about good reds. The same group did 3-day boutique winery tour of Napa in 2015.

Based on reviews, we booked a two-day tour with Inma and Mel, and we were very pleased. We arranged our trip online with Inma; she was extremely helpful in getting us set up for the tour and helped us with securing a hotel in Logrono (Hotel Calle Mayor was excellent) and provided local tips. She even made accommodation/dining suggestions at our next stop, San Sebastian (also excellent).

Our group wanted a mix of culture and wine-tasting and Inma suggested ‘Winery Hopping’ and ‘Unusual Suspects’ for our two days. We had plenty of tastings with just enough culture/sight seeing. Lunch was included in both of our tours and the meals were excellent. Particularly fabulous were the lamb chops at Bodegas Omalza.

Mel, Inma’s husband, was our tour guide for the two days. He was knowledgeable and personable, with a good sense of humor. He kept things interesting and fun, while educating us. During our two days with Mel, we learned a lot about Riojas, and discovered an appreciation for them. The wineries we visited produced very nice wines. While we all drink a lot of cabs, merlots, pinots and zins, none of us had much experience with Riojas prior to our trip. When we got home to the states, we all explored the Rioja sections of our local wine shops and bought several cases.

I highly recommend Rioja Wine Trips for exploring La Rioja. Mel and Inma will tailor your tours based on your wine knowledge and interests. We give them an A+.

We just got back from the best wine experience of our life! I could not recommend highly enough the fabulous authentic experience that we had with Inma our host at Rioja wine trips. We were very lucky to go to a small town for a special wine tasting on the hill, we stopped on the way to see a vineyard and learnt about how the vines grow and are looked after and then moved to special open day festival to visit the underground wine cellars and taste many lovely local wines. The atmosphere if the party at this town was great and we had a very special day with fabulous memories. We won’t forget this day. Book with Inma and you will not be disappointed she is very knowledgable and loves her job which makes your day perfect!

This was probably the best tour I’ve had of anything. Ever. Inma is simply terrific. She is warm, friendly, articulate and incredibly knowledgeable about wine and the Rioja region. We visited two wineries that were completely different but equally as exciting. She also packed us a delicious picnic lunch. Inma went above and beyond anything we could have ever expected, and we are very grateful to her for a very memorable experience.

My husband and I have traveled to many wine regions and have taken over 15 wine tours ranging from Barossa Valley to Bordeaux. But our tour with Mel at Rioja Wine Trips was the best wine experience of our lives. This 8-hour trip was an total immersion into Rioja, including the vineyards, history of the area, and numerous wine tastings. Instead of the large wine operations, Mel highlighted the small producers making special wines that do not get widespread distribution. HIs rapport with these small winemakers made our trip special as he provided insights into winemaking and the traditions of the area. As other reviewers have noted: The luncheon in the castle was a highlight! I cannot give enough praise to Mel and Rioja Wine trips: This is a tour designed for people whom love wine and the history that goes with it. You must do this if you’re in Rioja!

My boyfriend and I did the Unusual Suspects tour with Inma last week, and it was absolutely spectacular! We were staying in San Sebastián, and Inma very kindly arranged for a driver to pick us up in the morning and drive us back to the hotel at the end of the day. Every winery we went to was fantastic, and Inma explained so much about Spain, La Rioja specifically, and Spanish wine making all along the tour. She could not have been a kinder or more generous guide, and the provided lunch was also wonderful and delicious. It was a truly amazing day, and definitely a highlight of our trip to Spain. I would highly, highly recommend any tour with Inma and Rioja Wine Trips!

Superlatives are not adequate for this extremely well planned & well executed personally guided tour in the expansive Rioja wine region.
Inma is wise without pomposity and informative without being pedantic or condescending either. She really has a passionate yet informal style & very engaging too. We have been to numerous vineyards in Montalcino, Chianti, Loire Valley & multiple California spots too—without a shadow of a doubt, this is a very personalized tour and unequalled:A+!