José María makes very little. He has a small cellar of his own in La Rioja and a vineyard that is small and singular, and he decided never to use grapes from anywhere else. Every bottle he makes comes from those vines.
We asked him to guide the travellers because he is more than an expert. He knows how wine is made, and also how it is marketed, and we wanted them to hear that point of view. With him they tasted vertically: several vintages of the same wine, side by side.
They did it at López de Heredia, begun in 1877 and the oldest winery in Haro; at La Rioja Alta, S.A., where its own coopers make the barrels; and at Gómez Cruzado, the smallest cellar in the quarter.
He is one of our local heroes in Rioja. If you want to meet the person behind the wine, tell us. We will ask.
How a journey works.
It begins with a call. We ask what the traveller wants to accomplish and what has surprised them on other journeys. Then we introduce them to the people who hold the places: families, producers and guides who have lived here for generations, and we put their projects on the map. Behind every journey, a team watches every transfer and every driver. Hotels and hosts know the hour of arrival and say the traveller’s name before it is given. One person of ours is assigned to each journey, and the phone is answered at any hour.
Start the conversation 
