Rioja | 5 Days / 4 Nights

Go beyond the label and discover the people, places and stories behind one of Spain's great wine regions.

Rioja is one of the most famous names in Spanish wine. But how well do we really know the place behind the name?

New for 2027, we're inviting small groups to join us for five days exploring Rioja – meeting winemakers, walking among old vines, discovering historic bodegas and small independent producers, and enjoying the food, towns and landscapes that make this region so special.

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We've done the research so that you can experience a side of Rioja that's difficult to discover on your own – meeting the people behind the wines, walking their vineyards and hearing their stories first-hand.

You'll do much more than move from one winery tasting to another. You'll meet the people, explore the vineyards, discover the towns and villages and begin to understand why Rioja tastes the way it does.

Why Rioja?

You may already know Rioja.

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You may have favourite producers, recognise the names on the labels and have been drinking the wines for years.

But behind that familiar name is an extraordinarily diverse wine region – different landscapes, altitudes, grape varieties, generations and approaches to making wine.

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On this journey, you'll get closer to all of it.

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You'll meet people such as Juan Carlos Sancha, Professor of Enology at the University of La Rioja, winemaker and one of the people behind the recovery of almost-lost indigenous grape varieties including Maturana Tinta and Maturana Blanca.

You'll discover small, personal projects alongside some of the historic names that helped make Rioja famous.

Old vines and new ideas. Traditional cellars and urban wineries. Famous wine towns and small villages.

And, importantly, there'll be plenty of time for good food, conversation and simply enjoying being in northern Spain.

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Highlights

🍇 Meet the winemakers

The people behind the bottle are at the heart of the experience. You'll meet winemakers and growers, taste their wines with them and hear about their vineyards, families, ideas and stories.

🍷 Discover a different Rioja

Rioja isn't one single landscape or one style of wine. You'll explore some of that diversity, from historic bodegas to much smaller projects, old vineyards, indigenous varieties and a new generation looking again at what Rioja can be.

🌿 Old vines, altitude and almost-lost grapes

Get out into the vineyards and discover why site, altitude, soil and old vines matter. You'll also explore the story of Rioja's native grape varieties and meet one of the people instrumental in bringing some of them back from the brink of disappearance.

🏘️ Haro, Logroño and Rioja's wine country

Wine may give us the reason to travel, but it doesn't tell the whole story. You'll experience the towns, villages and landscapes that give Rioja its identity – from the famous bodegas of Haro's Barrio de la Estación to the streets and tapas bars of Logroño.

🍽️ Great food – and wine

Food is an important part of every Sense experience. You'll enjoy carefully selected restaurants, local dishes and regional produce, with time around the table being every bit as important as time in the tasting room.

Is this tour for you?

If you enjoy wine but are just as interested in the people, places and stories behind it, you'll feel at home on this tour.

You don't need to be a wine expert. You simply need to be curious – about what you're drinking, where it comes from and the people who make it.

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Come with us not simply to taste Rioja, but to understand it a little better.

Three opportunities to join us in 2027​

We're delighted to be working with two established UK wine schools to bring three small groups to Rioja in 2027:

11–15 March 2027 – Newcastle Wine School

6–10 May 2027 – Northern Wine School, Manchester

14–18 October 2027 – Newcastle Wine School

​​​Places are deliberately limited to max 16 guests per tour.

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​Or if you would like to bring your own group 
If you have a group of friends, a wine club, wine school or society who would enjoy experiencing Rioja together, get in touch. We’d love to help you create your own Sense Experience in Rioja.

What's included?

• 5 days / 4 nights

• 4 star hotel Accommodation with breakfast

• Carefully selected meals

• Winery visits and tastings

• Meet the winemakers

• Vineyard, wine and cultural experiences

• Private transport in Spain

Flights are not included

Go beyond the label

You might already know the name Rioja.

By the end of five days with us, we hope you'll know something more – the landscapes behind it, some of the people who make it, the stories they have to tell and why their wines taste the way they do.

And perhaps the next time you open a bottle of Rioja, you'll see the name on the label a little differently.

Our 2027 Rioja tours are already filling quickly. Contact us for current availability, prices and the full itinerary.

 

Sense Experiences – Discover Real Spain

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