Bodegas Darien- Darien Winery in La Rioja

“Best of Wine Tourism 2009 ” Award in architecture

I had the opportunity to visit this beautifully modern Bodega/winery right
outside of Logroño.  Darien Winery is a medium-sized winery with three- to four-year-old vines surrounding the premises, but most of its harvest is done in the Rioja Baja region.  There is also a restaurant with stunning views and a ceramic art collection that contains one of the most important European Traditional Ceramics collections, with art items dating from the 12^th to the 20^th centuries.

We tried the Darien Selection 2003 red wine, which is composed of the grape varieties: 68% Tempranillo and 32% Mazuelo (Carinena).  It is aged in new French oak barrels, giving it a nicely balanced, slightly porty red wine.  Robert Parker, a well-known enologist, gave this wine 90 points out of 100.  Priced at about 16 Euros, this is a bargain for a wine that ranks up there with some of the best French wines in the market.