Plans with children: to the family winery between must tastings and gymkhanas through the vineyards

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come out of the grapes he gobbled up on New Year's Eve

.

Also that you have to step on them well before in a "basket without shoes".

She has even heard the word vintage for the first time in her life.

Or "venminia" as she says.

What's more, little Ana - a brownish blonde, from Madrid and

the one from

- has even practiced it picking bunches among the vineyards, which can be explored

... or from the heights with a balloon ride.

These are some of the activities related to viticulture to enjoy as a family that await in a large part of the wineries of the

the only one of its kind in Spain, which implies higher quality requirements.

This is characteristic of the

in La Rioja (118), Álava (18) and Navarra (8), distributed among the 100 kilometers that separate Haro, the westernmost, from Alfaro, the easternmost.

Two children walk through a vineyard.

Divided into

Rioja Alavesa, Alta and Oriental, the DOCa (and its 567 wineries, in which 14,800 viticulturists work) is governed by a Regulatory Council that defends the theory that

is no longer just for adults .

For this reason, one of its objectives is to educate children in the culture of wine as it is

and being present in everyday life and in the values ​​that are transmitted from generation to generation.

This year, in addition, the DOCa.

it will host the prestigious World's Best Vineyards Awards, which reveal the world's best experiences offered by vineyards and wineries.

For something, "

and the towns of the region does not leave you indifferent, making Rioja a unique place to visit", explains the president of the Regulatory Council, Fernando Ezquerro.

A boy stomps grapes during the grape harvest.SHUTTERSTOCK

Not surprisingly, there are more and more family wine tourism activities such as those offered by

just five kilometers from Logroño.

In them the children enjoy the treading of grapes, stories with characters related to wine,

, toy libraries where they learn the basic concepts of the sector or pumpkin or bottle painting workshops.

"After decorating them, they take them home," says Marta Gómez, director of Public Relations, while helping little Ana with whom we started this story to

book, who gives everything with watercolors and felt pens.

The kids also dare for the first time with the must.

"Well, it's delicious...", several mini-tasters comment.

Some parents sign up to

("it's very relaxing," says a mother), while others leave them with the monitors while they visit the facilities, including

, with space for around 70,000.

A girl paints pumpkins and bottles in a workshop at the Campo Viejo winery.

The vineyards are also toured, where colorful works by

.

"They coincide with our philosophy,

, full of joy, desire, illusion...", comments Gómez.

Campo Viejo also offers a

to discover how the environment affects taste.

"You can't even imagine how the flavor changes depending on the song you listen to," adds the expert.

BETWEEN VIEWPOINTS, DINOSAURS AND CASTLES

Children's plans for wineries are combined with visits to

(de la Luna, Quel, Herce, Arnedo, Préjano...), museums (vegetables, wine culture...),

(vultures in Arnedillo, of storks in Alfaro...), wooden labyrinths (Carrascal de Villarroya), flour mills (Ocón)... Without forgetting the

, where it is explained what the dinosaurs of the area were like .

Their replicas can be seen at the

or La era del Peladillo (Igea).

Furthermore, the latter is the first in Europe in terms of the number of footprints of these giants found: 1,766.

Replica of a dinosaur in the deposits of the area.

Another interesting archaeological site to inspect the region's past is

, very close to the Ysios winery, the work of Santiago Calatrava.

And all of this, taking Logroño as its

, ideal for a tribute based on tapas on

and in restaurants such as Sabores (Rioja signature cuisine) or

(two Michelin stars).

The itinerary through the territory of the DOCa continues at the CVNE winery, in the emblematic neighborhood of Estación de Haro, considered the capital of Rioja wine.

It even organizes a

with music, creativity games around oenology, cookie courses in clusters,

such as

,

other, or gymkhanas among the vineyards.

"We also pick grapes with the children and then we make the must," adds Elena Martínez, Marketing coordinator.

She tells it while some children carry out

with drawings.

"I'm going to put a cloud," Alberto blurts out, brush in hand.

Fungitourism session after collecting mushrooms. DOCa.

Bodegas Vivanco (Briones) is also located in Rioja Alta, where they promote handicrafts and interactive games involving grape treading, collecting vineyard leaves to create a tapestry and a kind of basketball to basket

The activities are part of the guided tour adapted to the little ones of its

, the largest in the world dedicated to oenology (4,000 m2), which brings together original pieces by

, as well as a collection of vines with more than 220 varieties from all over the planet.

Interactive game at the Vivanco de Briones Winery.

The time has come for a gourmet stop, since 12 kilometers from Briones, in the small town of

, is one of the essentials of the route,

, where they serve traditional cuisine in a huge stone and brick house

says its owner, Ángel Pérez.

You can choose between classics such as stewed tail, suckling pig or lamb and more than 400 wine references.

We go to the Eastern Rioja to visit the

winery , where children participate in a must tasting with their parents, and those of the

where they are shown the development of a vine in each of its stages.

In

visualize a short film and, following it, they play hide-and-seek within the facilities until they find the talisman stone.

Once found, they receive a gift that they assemble by hand.

In Rioja Alavesa, for its part, there is

where the entire family can make their own wines and musts.

The little ones receive a

for this, in addition to tasting jellies made with a light touch of wine as a sweet climax.

A father approaches the Ysios winery with his son.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET

La Rioja can be reached by train or car on the A-68.

WHERE TO SLEEP

NH Herencia Rioja

.

Cozy hotel with great service in the heart of Logroño.

WHERE TO EAT

Flavors

(Mercado Square, 3, Logroño).

Signature cuisine with seasonal products.

tondeluna.

(Wall of Fco. de la Mata, 9, Logroño).

His motto: "rich cuisine" by Francis Paniego (two Michelin stars) in the capital of La Rioja.

The old cellar

.

(Casalarreina).

Traditional menu with "good product, wine and care", as those responsible say.

MORE INFORMATION

On the

www.riojawine.com

You can follow

on

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