Rioja Alta Wine Day: 15th-Century Cellar, Grape Treading, Barrels and Lunch

This day in Rioja Alta, the part of Rioja known for elegant wines, historic wineries and vineyard views, is built around family-run producers rather than big names. An expert guide leads it and shares stories from people who live around wine. The winemaking story runs back 2,000 years, from Roman times to modern techniques. One of the wineries dates to the 15th-16th century and still makes wine the traditional way, with grape treading included. A second stop shows modern winemaking and how wine ages in different types of oak barrel. Lunch is a real Riojan meal, with local food matched to wines the locals keep to themselves. The day also includes a walk through a vineyard where grapes have grown for generations, and a chance to see how the vines shape the wine.