Rioja

John Gregory-Smith heads to the Spanish hills and valleys to discover wine, fabulous food… and gin

THE FULL HEAT OF THE SUN is not quite on me and the morning haze still clings to the hills. I can see wild meadows dotted with vibrant flowers and fragrant herbs, meandering rivers and lush pine trees. Little stone houses are scattered about, and as we carry on driving, I see immaculate rows of grape vines carving the land up into a rich green tapestry.

I am driving through Rioja, a little province that sits below the  Cantabrian Mountains in the north of the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The area was once occupied by the Romans, and then taken over by the Moors, before being won back under Spanish rule in the 10th  century by King Sancho 1 of León. As a result, Rioja is littered with ancient monuments and picturesque medieval villages.

Made up of seven fertile valleys, the land is rich, and full of wide pastures and thick forests. It’s ideal for growing grapes, and the  Tempranillo grape has been cultivated in this region of Spain for over two thousand years. It’s this fabulous fruit that has made Rioja so famous today. Every year in the little town of Haro, locals from far and wide gather together on 29 June, the day of the Patron Saint of San Pedro, to have take mass and then celebrate the grape. In a jubilant showdown, vast volumes of plonk are hurled around the pretty town, covering everyone in a deep purple sheen.