If you’re wine-obsessed and traveling to Spain, you’re in luck. The country is full of special, one-of-a-kind wine experiences to enjoy, from wine fights to volcano festivals to wine baths. Here’s a list of some of the coolest wine tours, festivals, hotels, wineries, activities and more to do throughout Spain.
Because this island is technically closer to Africa than Spain, the harvest comes a lot sooner than most — usually the second week of August. Expect all the typical harvest festival activities like barefoot-grape crushing, dancing, music and of course, wine drinking, but expect to see camels and donkeys transporting the grapes.
Every June in Haro, you can dump wine all over your friends — and thousands of others. You’ll spot the firetrucks, but they’ll be spraying wine out of their hoses, and beware of wine-filled super soakers. Wear all white to join in the wine fight fun, and we recommend some goggles and a waterproof phone case.
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Located in the La Rioja wine region, this festival occurs mid-September when a rocket is set off in the town hall square of Logroño. Once this signal has been made, chaos ensues — food fights begin, and locals dump water from the balconies into the street. The festival features nonstop wine, street parties, parades and everyone’s favorite: the wine fountain, shooting the streams of red liquid up into the air.
The Oller del Mas Winery located in the Pla de Bages (an hour from Barcelona) offers tastings in their Medieval castle. Stay overnight in their eco-hotel, complete with a farm and a swimming pool.
Wine taste and tour the cave labyrinth, complete with a short skit about Greek mythology and the history of the Hilo de Ariadna winery.
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the impressive, modern structure that houses the Ysios winery is shaped like a butterfly.
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An eco-conscious winery, Vivanco Family Vineyards was built almost entirely underground to keep as much space as possible for the vineyards — and to minimize environmental damage to the beautiful La Rioja region. Visit their wine museum, with an exhibit featuring over 3000 corkscrews, and stroll through the outdoor Garden of Bacchus, home to over 220 varieties of grapevines.
This underwater winery features tours via boat, on land and even diving tours to check out the Crusoe Treasure Cellar and reef.
Immerse yourself in a tub of wine made from Ribera del Duero red grapes, followed by a grapeseed oil massage at the Barcelona AIRE Spa. You’ll sip on Matarromera crianza red wine and snack on cheese and nuts during your soak.
This SPG property designed by Frank Gehry sits on the stunning Marqués de Riscal vineyard in Elciego, part of the La Rioja region. You can wine taste as well as indulge in spa treatments like the crushed cabernet scrub or the vine body wrap.
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This luxury wine estate near Valladolid features vineyards and the Santuario Spa, which specializes in wine treatments. An ancient abbey turned into a wine hotel, the most popular treatment is the Spa Sommelier Experience, which starts with inhaling different oil blends and tasting wine, connecting the limbic, nervous and olfactory systems to your emotions.
The Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel and Spa offers tours of the Marqués de la Concordia wine cellar with over 1400 barrels, followed by vinotherapy spa treatments.
Bacchus on Bikes offers custom bike and wine tours. A typical itinerary includes three days of biking in Catalonia, stopping at wineries to taste and local restaurants to dine.
Ride a segway through the vineyards of LaGuardia, then sample Rioja wine paired with snacks during this three-hour day tour.
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The Don Jacopo Winery in La Rioja offers a wine tour on horseback. You’ll ride through the wineyards and the surrounding countryside, then hop off to explore the inside of the winery and sample some of their best varieties.
Sherry is the fermented wine Andalusians drink, and you can visit two sherry wineries and explore the beaches this beautiful Southern Spanish region all in one tour.
You have me intrigued with Crusoe Treasure’s tour. How often do you get to combine scuba with a wine tour? Planning a tour through Spain that heads north during harvest season is something that always lingers in my mind. There are just so many festivals to check out.
It’s quite an experience! I personally think September/October is the perfect time to travel through Spain’s Rioja region, especially. You’ll love it!
Spain is a complete indulgence for the senses. The festivals of Spain are of course legend like the Tomatino festival. Was not aware of the wine-related festivals. The Haro Wine Fight sounds really intriguing.Fire fighters spouting wine, that sounds really incredible. The vibrancy and joi de vivre of Spain comes alive in the various experiences that you describe in the post.
So true! The Tomatillo is definitely epic. So happy you enjoyed the article, and I hope you can visit/experience these festivals one day!
Spain is known for its festivals. A wine tour can be a fun and relaxing getaway and Spain is the perfect for it. I would love to ride a bike through Catalonia and stop at various wineries.
The Haro Wine fight sounds interesting! Never heard of such a thing before! I can’t help but wonder – that sounds like a lot of wine going to waste! The bike and wine and horse and wine sound much more up my alley <3