Wine-throwing festivals, summer jazz, traditional Basque cuisine, and wonderful golf courses. What’s not to like in northern Spain and the Rioja?
Northern Spain is a delight for golfers and foodies. The beautiful courses of the Basque region combined with the food and wine of Rioja make it a wonderful place for a gourmet and golf holiday.
The Rioja region is also a short hop from south-west France, making it ideal for a two-centre holiday. You can experience the best of France AND Spain.
Great excuses to visit northern Spain and the Rioja
Here are some events you may wish to tie into your next holiday in Rioja and northern Spain.
Until February 25, 2018 – David Hockney, ‘Portraits’, Bilbao
Moving on from his landscapes work, Hockney left his Yorkshire home and went back to Los Angeles. This exhibition presents David Hockney’s recent portraits and offers visitors an intimate snapshot of the LA art world and the people who have crossed been involved in the artist’s life over the last two years. More information on the exhibition is here . Even if you miss this excellent exhibition, the Guggenheim in Bilbao is a wonderful place to spend a day and can be factored into one of our golf and wine packages.
June 29, 2018 – The Battle of Wine, Haro
This is quite an unusual fiesta, held annually in the Rioja region on June 29. It’s a celebration of the ‘feast of San Pedro’, and is marked by the ‘Batalla de Vino’ or ‘Battle of Wine’. The day is a lot of fun. It’s based around wine drinking competitions and a truly unique event where participants get to pour wine over each other from buckets! The day starts early with a parade through town – led by the mayor on horseback. Mass is then held before everyone throws wine over each other. It’s complete chaos but a lot of fun. The day ends with a night of festivities in the centre of town at the Plaza de la Paz. More information.
July 4-7, 2018 – Getxo, Summer jazz festivals in the Basque Country
The sound of jazz fills the summer air of the Basque Country with street concerts, and great food and wine. More information.
July 17-21, 2018 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, Summer jazz festivals in the Basque Country
The sound of jazz fills the summer air of the Basque Country with street concerts, and great food and wine. More information.
July 25-29, 2018 – San Sebastian, Summer jazz festivals in the Basque Country
The sound of jazz fills the summer air of the Basque Country with street concerts, and great food and wine. More information.
September 15-22, 2018 – The Rioja Wine Harvest, Logroño
The town of Logroño comes alive with vibrancy and colour to celebrate the annual grape harvest. There are lots of things to do, including including taking part in the traditional foot-crushing of grapes, bull-running (ouch!), parades of floats, music, popular meals and ball games. Contact us for more information on harvest activities. We can tailor wine and golf packages to ensure you can take part in this wonderful annual event.
June 30, 2018 – Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Bilbao
June 2018 will see Bilbao host another world-renowned event, with the arrival of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. See platform or springboard divers launch themselves from the La Salve bridge with the beautiful Guggenheim Museum as a backdrop. More information.
Contact us today so we can help incorporate any of these special events into your perfect golf and wine holiday.