Finally Rioja – and honestly, for the first time!
Our Weinstein wine trip 2025 led us to the traditional wine region of Rioja – specifically to the sub-regions of Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta. A special highlight: our visit to our producer Bideona, who is setting new standards with their vision of origin and terroir.
While Rioja was long defined by one particular style of wine – keywords: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva – producers like Bideona are now creating entirely new interpretations. In the limestone and clay soils of the Rioja Alavesa – the "Côte d’Or of Rioja" – the most important grape varieties, Tempranillo and Garnacha, as well as field blends of truly old vines, are cultivated. Most are trained "en vaso," which translates to "bush vine," though sometimes they are also grown on wire trellises in the Guyot style. By the way, in Rioja, "old vines" is understood to mean that the person who planted the vines has already passed away. As long as the person is still alive, they are considered young vines.
The itinerary included classics such as La Rioja Alta, Remelluri, and Lopez de Heredia - Viña Tondoñia. A visit to Viña Tondoñia is, of course, a dream for any wine lover. Admission is now reserved for professional visitors only because the demand is so high. We were lucky, and the tour through the old cellar was a unique and impressive experience. We were also struck by the spirit of Remelluri and the high quality of their wines, as well as the stock of Gran Reserva 904 and 890 at La Rioja Alta.
BODEGA BIDEONA
The visit to our producer Bideona in the Rioja Alavesa was one of the main inspirations for the trip. For just over a year, we have been working with this estate, which was newly acquired in 2018 and is managed by Andreas Kubach MW. Our contact person and sales partner Jörg Wössner (Peninsula Wines) traveled all the way from Germany to spend the morning with us. Together, we explored the vineyards, which have often been planted with mixed grape varieties for many decades. The latest DNA analyses provide precise information about the origin of the vines. In addition to the indigenous Rioja varieties, others like Mencia or Alarije have slipped into the region over the years. The stories of how these grape varieties arrived are manifold. In fact, vine cuttings were only ever exchanged within villages, never between them.
Bideona has also set itself the goal of making the origin and terroir of the various villages and the "tapestry of vineyard sites" (countless small plots that sprawl like wild growth over the hills) famous. So famous, in fact, that in ten years every sommelier worldwide will know at least five of the nine village names of the Alavesa and be able to talk about them. We already have two of these village wines in our portfolio – one or two Vino de Paraje (single-vineyard wines) will follow! The wines are puristic, cool, juicy, with clear fruit and extraordinary finesse. The oak plays only an accompanying role here, intended to provide structure and longevity, but by no means to dominate. The elegance is reminiscent of Burgundy, and the white Viura wines bring a "Chablisienne feeling," but with the self-confidence of a new Rioja style. The highlight was the 2022 Cofrades – one of the single-vineyard wines from the village of Leza. A hedonistic, generous, and elegant wine consisting of 8 different grape varieties, though Tempranillo makes up the majority.
SIERRA DE TOLOÑO
The visit to Sandra Bravo of Sierra de Toloño, who thrilled us with terroir-driven wines from her plots at an altitude of approx. 600m, was another of the highlights. Our first encounter with the winemaker began with one of her Viura wines, which wine journalist and our tour guide Thomas Götz (Spaniens Weinwelten) presented at our WINE TIME last autumn. The theme of that sold-out masterclass was: "Classic Rioja vs. The New Rioja." Thomas lives in Andalusia and has been studying the world of Spanish wine intensively for many years. In addition to his professional expertise, he is an incredibly charming companion with whom you can spend hours hopping through Logroño's tapas bars. Back to Sandra Bravo and that special energy one feels in the vineyards, presumably due to the old vines, biodynamic farming, and the power of the lime-rich soils. The result: mineral, puristic, structured, organic, and above all, impressive wines with a "Niagara flow" (a term coined by Henrik Thoma).
BODEGAS MARTINEZ ALESANCO
It became emotional during our site visit at Martínez Alesanco in Rioja Alta. The family business has played a significant role in bringing the almost forgotten Maturana Tinta grape variety back to life. We added their “Nada Que Ver” to our range back in 2017, and it was one of our first imports from the Iberian Peninsula, alongside their traditional Crianza and Reserva. The wine is a true character: dark fruit aromatics, wood, spice, muscle – but not over-trained; powerful yet well-balanced. A perfect winter wine and food companion that goes ideally with meat and cheese.
TAPAS, MICHELIN STARS & "PULLERN ODER STRULLERN?"
For dining, we recommend the traditional restaurants in the villages, as well as "Umm No Solo Tapas" in Logroño. The legendary tapas street "Calle Laurel" is no longer an insider tip, and "Ajo Negro" has a well-deserved Michelin star on its door for its fusion of Spanish and Mexican cuisine. We will honorably keep the rest in our memories as a secret. The group around our wine friends Rita, Uschi, Frank, and Gottfried was, as always, solid, and it was once again a pleasure to expand our wine knowledge together and collect experiences for life: "Pullern oder Strullern – but never...!"
Curious?
You can find the wines from Bideona in our wine shop and online store – fresh, unique, and terroir-driven. Rioja has arrived in the 21st century, and we are right in the middle of it!
