June in La Rioja: Natural Splendor and Historical Tradition

June is the ideal month to discover La Rioja in full swing. Life is flourishing throughout the region, welcoming migratory birds, providing a nest and shelter for breeding storks, the flowering of the Sierra, and, of course, bringing with it the explosion and brilliance of fruit, vegetables, and vines that fill with vitality to produce the grapes destined to become wines to be enjoyed in the near future.

The best way to enjoy this ancestral and rich territory is to travel through it slowly. There are many possible options, and they are accessible to everyone. You can go trekking, cycling, walking, etc….  

Here are some suggestions, trails, and tours to get you inspired.

Trails

— Explore Briones on a walk around its surroundings

You can visit the Castle of Davalilo, in the nearby town of San Asensio. This fortress was built in the fourteenth century and is located on a hill overlooking the entire region, now surrounded by some of the best vineyards in La Rioja.

For a shorter route, a suggestion for everyone is to walk through the vineyards surrounding Briones along the Ebro River, which nourishes our countryside. You can enjoy getting to know and discover the different ways our winegrowers work the vines: bush vines or trellises, old vines with winding trunks, or tidy young columns that entangle their shoots in the mesh to leave their fruit exposed to the sun.

— Biking

Routes through the old villages whose names are no longer there, but their evocative relics remain, such as the Ermita de los Mártires, on the southern slope of the hill of Mendiguera, the Guardaviñas Plaza Vitoria, which are small stone huts used by farmers as a shelter to care for and watch over the crops, which are mainly circular.

If you are passionate about cycling trails and want to know the area you are traveling to, you may be interested in reaching the Sierra de Toloño, which protects La Rioja Alta from the humid north winds. It does not have very high peaks; the highest is the Cima Toloño, which gives its name to the mountain range, at 1271m (4170ft). Its steep limestone ridges give it its unique and rugged beauty.

If you want a bicycle, you can contact companies in the area through our reception to rent the most convenient bike for you.

Walks and Plans

A visit to the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture is a must—a place where you can find treasures about the millenary culture of wine. Its permanent exhibition includes works by Picasso, Sorolla, Chillida, Barceló, Genovés… as well as ancient art and craftwork.

Outside, there is the Jardín de Baco, with more than 220 varieties of grapes from all over the world.

The Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture is a journey through the history and culture of wine. It spans the ancient traces from when humankind began to produce it up to the present day.

Ask at reception for our Vivanco Package, and let us take care of organizing your visit to the Museum and the Winery.

The Medieval Days of Briones, which this year celebrate their 26th edition after the forced pause due to the pandemic, cannot be missed during the third weekend of June. This unique event, which is held annually, gathers and reflects on our town’s history and ancestral life, going back to the past and re-enacting the way of life of our ancestors in the 14th century.

It is held the third weekend of June and will take place this year on 18 and 19. You can enjoy concerts, dance recitals, falconry exhibitions, theatrical performances in the streets and, of course, buy some handicrafts in the market.

Also, on the 18th, you can enjoy a wine tasting in the Barrio de la Estación in Haro. This neighborhood emerged in the mid-nineteenth century when the railroad replaced the stables as a means of transporting wine. When the oidium plague (in 1863) and the phylloxera (in 1867) arrived in France –which caused harvests to disappear from the vineyards of its producers–the export centers were installed in this neighborhood’s surroundings. This was the seed of the most famous wineries in the neighboring town of Haro, being the first to establish the prestigious R. López de Heredia Winery in 1877.

And for those impromptu dinners, you can book a romantic dinner on our terrace now that the good weather is coming this summer.
Our LOVE SUMMER NIGHTS can be booked on Wednesdays and Thursdays during June, July, and August. We have a menu for two people, from €55/person, which includes the chef’s appetizer, two starters, the main course, dessert, bread, water, and a bottle of wine selected by the house

Book by calling (+34) 941 991 599 or at the reception.