The French Way of St James crosses, between Navarre and Castile, the region of La Rioja, one of Europe's great wine lands. For medieval pilgrims wine was nourishment and comfort, and monasteries along the road made it and offered it. Today this stretch can also be followed as a wine route, on foot, by bike or by car.
The stages
- Irache Monastery, near Estella in Navarre: in 1991 Bodegas Irache installed the famous fuente del vino, a fountain with two taps, one of water and one of red wine, from which pilgrims can drink for free.
- Viana, the last Navarrese town, where Cesare Borgia is buried, killed in 1507 fighting for the king of Navarre.
- Logroño, capital of La Rioja, with Calle Laurel and Calle San Juan packed with pintxo bars and the San Mateo harvest festival in September.
- Navarrete, a village of potters and cellars, and Nájera, with the monastery of Santa María la Real.
- Santo Domingo de la Calzada, with the cathedral where a rooster and a hen live, in memory of a famous miracle of the Way.
Wine detours
Leaving the Way for a few kilometres you reach the capitals of wine:
- Haro, with its station quarter (Barrio de la Estación), home to historic bodegas such as López de Heredia, La Rioja Alta, CVNE and Muga, and the Batalla del Vino on 29 June, when thousands dressed in white climb to the Riscos de Bilibio and soak each other in red wine.
- Briones, one of Spain's most beautiful villages, with the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, one of the most complete in the world.
- Laguardia, in Rioja Alavesa, a walled village above hundreds of cellars carved into the rock, and nearby the signature wineries of Ysios by Santiago Calatrava and Elciego with Frank Gehry's Marqués de Riscal hotel.
- San Millán de la Cogolla, with the monasteries of Suso and Yuso, cradle of the Castilian language.
Tips
The grape harvest in September and October is the most evocative time. Many bodegas require booking for tours and tastings. Don't miss the local dishes: patatas a la riojana with chorizo, vegetables and lamb chops grilled over vine cuttings (chuletillas al sarmiento). See also Spanish wines.