La Rioja is not only wine, it is a crossroads, a mixture of cultures which have gradually shaped its true character. A visit to La Rioja is a journey through the history of our Spanish language. It is not widely known that the first words in Spanish were written in the Suso Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla.
Travelling around La Rioja is like travelling many years of history in a short distance. La Rioja is a patchwork of different kinds of art and cultures: that´s the reason way La Ruta Jacobea or Saint James Way crosses our land. From Celtiberians to Romans, Moors, Castilian Kings... each age has left its mark on our region in the shape of priceless pieces of art and architecture, such as the Monastery of Santa Maríaa La Real in Nájera, the Monasteries of Cañas or Valvanera.
Obviously, the wine culture involves the gastronomy pleasures. So it is not surprising that the La Rioja cuisine is one of the very best known one in Spain. Potatoes in Riojan style with -chorizo- (hot spicy Spanish sausage ), lamb chops grilled over vine twigs and a wide range of exquisite dishes offered with the region´s best wines.
And of course, wine, the bodegas, the landscape dotted with vineyards,... These all serve to shape our land, La Rioja, a friendly region which open up its doors to welcome visitors to enjoying in Don Jacobo an example of the combination of tourism and wine, which is such a feature of La Rioja.
