RIOJA WINE TOURS Curated wine and food experiences

We were impressed even before we got to Spain. On learning, when we booked, that we were touring northern Spain, Inma offered us the benefit of her experience of the region and a list of the best pintxo bars, restaurants and shoe shops followed.
Mel, our host for the day, was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and helpful and determined to fit as much into our trip as possible.
It was a well-balanced mix of different wineries both the traditional and the modern, which made for a good introduction to Rioja. The tastings were generous and the lunch delicious.
All in all a great day out.

March 2020

Wow! Inma is the consummate host and such a pro! We visited Spain for two weeks in July 2019, and our day with Rioja Wine Trips was the highlight. The Unusual Suspects Tour introduced us to incredibly special boutique wine makers. Their passion for their craft not only showed in the wines that they produced but the conversations that were had, spanning from wine, history and Spanish culture. Inma’s attention to detail and authenticity are remarkable…so are her cooking skills! The Spanish lunch that she provided is something we still talk about over 6 months later, and she was kind enough to email us her tortilla recipe, along with several recommendations for the remainder of our trip. Inma is one of those special people that leaves a lasting memory. Thank you for making our trip! – Justin & Ashley from Nashville, TN.

July 2019

This review is long overdue – words cannot express how much of a wonderful experience my husband and I had with Imma exploring, learning and indulging rioja wines. Let me just say Rioja wine is one the most undiscovered wine with so much potential. We visited three bodegas, each visit felt so personal (one tastings with owners of the bodegas) and our day ended with a lunch specially prepared for us in a medieval town below a castle (where one of the bachelor seasons was taped)! Definitely would recommend this tour for anyone and we are even planning a trip back soon.

Nov 2019

Inma was a fantastic guide and has organized such an intimate and unique tour in her Unusual Suspects program. We visited small wineries that can only be visited through her tour and drank some fantastic wine. Inma was extremely knowledgeable and hospitable. What a great way to spend a day near San Sebastián (she also arranged a transfer from our hotel there).

Sept 2019

Where do I even begin!! I will try and find the words to describe what a wonderful experience we had on this wine tour, it was absolutely the BEST day!!

I booked this tour after reading all the reviews for our group of friends (4 couples). The trip was a reunion of friends from all over the world and a celebration of an unexpected proposal! Inma was amazing from the time of booking all the way up to the day itself until she dropped us off – everything was so special. I had been emailing with Inma about what our interests were and what we liked (good wines, beautiful views, picture worth spots, best and historical wineries La Rioja had to offer) and she delivered on every single criteria and more!! She created a custom wine tour for us that took us off the beaten track and we were able to see some beautiful views and taste amazing wines. The wine tastings were all very full as well!! I think we had at least 15 wines to taste throughout the day.

First stop was near the mountains to teach us about the growing conditions in La Rioja which was actually great to know before visiting the wineries. The first winery was actually closed to the public but Inma had the keys (that’s how great of a relationship she has with the local winemakers!) in a cute little town – talk about VIP service! Here we walked through the different houses of the buildings (spread across 4 buildings) – weaving in and out through old and new decor and passing centuries old cellars with some still storing wine! The second winery was in the town centre where there were more wineries located, and she took us to the oldest wine bar that has been preserved and still active today, before heading to the tasting which was in a special glass room overlooking the the oak barrels. Next stop was to the old church at the top of the hill, which gave us sweeping views of La Rioja – was beautiful and we were able to get great drone footage!!! The church was lovely as well. We had specifically requested (during booking) to have one tasting outside amongst/looking at the grapevines – this was where we had our last tasting. We had the tasting first inside as it was too hot by this time of day and then moved outside and relaxed in lawn chairs by the grapevines. Our last stop was a cosy local house (closed but Inma had the keys) where Inma prepared the most delicious meal for us!!! We all loved the tortilla she made so much that she even sent us the recipe afterwards (although I know I won’t be able to make it was yummy as hers).

Inma was so easygoing and flexible throughout the entire day – she stopped by a cafe for us to buy coffee and have some snacks in between wineries, she always offered to take group photos for us (which turned out great!!), and is so knowledgeable and easy to get along with – it honestly felt like she was another friend! We all agreed it was the best wine tour we’ve ever done, you definitely won’t regret it.

Inma – thank you so much for your thoughtfulness, patience and warmth. Thank you for making our reunion so special – we will remember this trip fondly forever!!!

July 2019

Mine husband and I are wine lovers. We have done tours in California, Italy and France. This was by far our favorite! Inma,our tour guide and owner, was amazing. So knowledgeable, so passionate about her home area. She has done so much research of the Rioja area and took us to the 3 most delicious and amazing wineries. We chose the Unusual Supects tour. WOW! Inma’s extensive schooling and time being around the wine industry made this tour incredible. You will not regret booking a tour. It was the highlight of our 2 week trip in Spain. We came back with 12 bottles from the Wineries Inma took us too. Our tour was in English and Inma’s English is excellent!
And a note if you do book… Inma does not get free tastings bringing groups to the wineries she takes you to. She still pays for the tastings so you know she is bringing you to the ones she’s loves, not the ones paying her. Pay her in cash when you pay the other half the day of. We didn’t have enough cash and the cc fees in Spain are insane!!

The Unusual Suspects tour was beyond amazing. My wife and I had searched many different wine tours in the Rioja region, and we kept coming back to the raving reviews of Rioja Wine Trips across multiple websites. The Unusual suspects tour took us to 3 wonderful wineries that we would have never known about Or have been able to see if it wasn’t for this trip. Inma was excellent and we learned so much! She felt like a friend who we had known for years and answered every question above and beyond. The price is well worth the trip as it lasted the entire day with transportation. Inma was so personable, that the entire trip felt natural. I would highly recommend not to second guess this trip, and go! You’re life will be changed forever!

Sept 2019

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!

Thankfully I was referred to Inma from a friend of a friend; this is an experience not to be missed if you love wine! We did the Unusual Suspects tour as we have access to the wines of the larger more well-known wineries at home. Not only did we taste some amazing wines, but got to talk to at least one of the winemakers or other well-informed staff. These were very small operations and very busy owners during the beginning of harvest. Our lunch in a wine cave was as good as any restaurant and in a more unique setting. I can’t believe how much time and effort is put into this tour; totally worth the price! Skip the fancy wineries for this tour to see what it is really like to make wine in La Rioja and meet the people doing it. Inma gives a valuable education on every aspect of wine-making in this region as well as providing many recommendations on other wineries to visit and restaurants to try. We used her tips for Logroño, San Sebastián, Bilbao and Madrid, always spot on! I would love to go back for another tour sometime.

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+!

Inma was absolutely amazing! From helping us coordinate everything in the weeks leading up to our arrival until after we made it home safely. There are not enough words to describe how amazing this day truly was. It is a locally owned / family owned tour. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Inma really knows her stuff, she is a true genius, especially when it comes to wine!! She made sure the whole day was personalized for us and made adjustments throughout the day to better suit us as she got to know us. I recommend anyone in Spain take a day or two and travel to Rioja and do this tour! You wont be disappointed! Cant wait to go back someday!!???

March 2020

We did the Unusual Suspects wine tour with Lorena.

It was a fantastic day. Lorena was an expert in all things Rioja and all things wine production…. definitely a huge asset to this company. She took us to three small wineries which all had fantastic wines. Just sad we can’t get them in Canada (although our suitcases will be a bit heavier on the way home!). Lunch in a cave (surrounded by amazing scenery) was a nice touch. Would highly recommend this tour!

Oct 2019