Rioja Alavesa is the northern, Basque slice of Rioja and the most compact part of it — a band roughly 7 kilometres deep, about 16 kilometres northwest of Logroño, beneath the wall of the Sierra de Cantabria.
Tempranillo on chalky clay, at higher altitude than the rest of Rioja, gives wines with more freshness and lift than the region's warmer southern zones. The traditional hierarchy of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva still governs how long a wine has sat in oak before release, and is the most useful thing to understand before you taste.
Laguardia is the base: a walled hill town riddled with medieval cellars dug under the streets. Several of the region's architecturally famous wineries are a short drive away. Most require appointments, and Spanish opening hours mean a long break in the middle of the day.
