Wine is enjoyed just the same from a wheelchair, but not all wineries in La Rioja are ready to receive someone with reduced mobility. Asking before booking avoids surprises on the day of the visit.
There is no single, up-to-date official list of accessibility by winery: the situation changes with refurbishments and extensions. What follows are the points worth confirming directly with each winery when booking, not a firm guarantee.
What to ask when booking
- Whether access to the tasting room and the cellars is level or whether there are steps with no alternative.
- Whether the tour of the premises includes stretches that can only be seen by going down stairs.
- Whether there is an adapted toilet on the premises.
- Whether the tasting can be done seated, if the full tour is not accessible.
The cellars, the hardest point
Many historic wineries in La Rioja — above all in Haro and in the old towns of Rioja Alta — dug their cellars underground one or two centuries ago, when accessibility was not part of the design. Access is usually by stairs, with no alternative. More recently built wineries, especially those in Rioja Alavesa put up from the 1990s onwards, were designed with accessibility regulations in mind and tend to offer better conditions.
An accessible winery is not just one with a ramp at the entrance: it is one that lets you complete the whole visit without depending on stairs halfway round.
Transport, solved separately
The journey to the winery is the easiest part to solve: a vehicle with an adapted configuration and a ramp takes the person to the door without changing chairs or transfers. What no longer depends on transport is what happens after that door, and that is why it is worth separating the two when organising the day.
Organising the day with a margin
When the visit includes someone with reduced mobility, it is worth allowing more time than usual between wineries: alternative accesses, where they exist, are usually longer than the standard route. Confirming accessibility by phone the day before, not only when booking, prevents a last-minute change — roadworks, a large group occupying the adapted access — from spoiling the plan.
Winery route in La Rioja with a driver
The vehicle has an adapted configuration with a ramp. We organise the route with the margin you need.
