Parador de Santo Dom Bernardo de Fresneda

LA RIOJA

Although one of the smallest of Spain’s Autonomous Communities, Rioja – or La Rioja to give it its correct name – must surely be one of the best known, at least by name. Essentially a rural region, the fertile land is cultivated with special care and produces excellent fruit and vegetables and, of course, grapes for wine. But what makes the grapes so special? A major factor has to be the climate.

To the north of La Rioja lies the Basque Country and Navarra, whose proximity to the Cantabrian Sea is responsible for mild temperatures. To the east are Aragón and Catalonia, bringing warmth from the Mediterranean. Add to this a harshness of climate from the south, from the centre of the Iberian Peninsula in the region of Castilla y León, and the resulting mix is – judged by the results - clearly ideal for the purpose. Logically, the influence of the north is felt more in the north of the region, hence ‘Rioja Alta’ or Upper Rioja while the Mediterranean influence is more evident in the south, in ‘Rioja Baja’ or Lower Rioja.

The capital city of La Rioja is Logroño, on the River Ebro in the extreme north of the region and ‘en route’ to Santiago de Compostela for pilgrims travelling the Way of St James. Also on this route is the historic city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada which owes its name to a hermit who in the 11th century devoted his life to helping the pilgrims by building bridges, inns and by working miracles... The old Pilgrimage hospice, founded by the admirable St Dominic, is now the splendid Parador, facing the celebrated Cathedral.

Less than 10 miles from Santo Domingo is the wine capital of La Rioja, Haro - not to be missed. An elegant town with several attractive mansions, the emphasis here is of course on the product itself with the Wine Museum and the presence of many of the best known names in the business sure to keep the visitor happy.

Riojan cuisine is famous for its healthy, hearty country dishes. A few typical examples: ‘Menestra de Verduras’, best described as a ‘medley of vegetables’; ‘Patatas a la Riojana’, potatoes flavoured with chorizo; roast lamb or kid; stuffed peppers and, particularly in the north of the region, a whole variety of stews. And to go with all this? What else but ‘vino tinto de Rioja’.