Best supermarket wines on the Camino...

[dgallen]

A number of years ago I met a couple on the Camino Frances in Roncesvalles who owned a small vinyard and boutique wine label in Rioja country near Logrono. Not only did they introduce me to the world's best tapas/pinchos and wine crawl on the calle del laurel in Logrono (which unfortunately many pilgrims miss out on because the municipal albergue closes at 9pm... pilgrims should do themselves a favour and stay at a private albergue in Logrono and do the crawl 'til midnight!), but also there is a tremendous variety of amazing wines in Spain that can be found pretty cheap.

Still, while in the local supermarkets on the way, I always seem to gravitate by habit to my "go to" El Coto or Campo Viejo Rioja. Or if I feel like an albarino then Vizhoja Marques de Blanco is always good. It's time to break the chain.

Looking for favourites out there in the sub 5 euro range, that can be typically found in any supermarket on the camino. Even better are those gems in the 2-3 euro range that I can punish the wine snobs with my thriftiness.

 

[trecile]

Not only did they introduce me to the world's best tapas/pinchos and wine crawl on the calle del laurel in Logrono (which unfortunately many pilgrims miss out on because the municipal albergue closes at 9pm... pilgrims should do themselves a favour and stay at a private albergue in Logrono and do the crawl 'til midnight!),

I totally agree with this! I had no idea of the tapas scene in Logroño when I first walked in 2016. But last year, my friend and I booked a pension near Calle Laurel, and together with another pilgrim had a fantastic tapas crawl. It was my friend's last night on the Camino, so it was a perfect send off.

 

[JillGat]

I arrived in Logrono, unfortunately, on the first day of the annual wine festival in the fall 2017. I had actually hoped to visit Campo Viejo and some other bodegas while there, but soon changed my mind. The entire town was already drunk (on wine mixed with coca cola, mostly, aggg!) and I got the last bunk in the Municipal. I wound my way past all the people puking and pissing in the street, grabbed some tapas a llevar and went back to my bed. Next time I hope to explore the scene there more.

That being said, I don't think I've ever bought a supermarket vino tinto along the Camino for 4 euros that didn't taste better than anything I could get at home for much more. Faustino I comes to mind.

 

[Lirsy]

People from Logroño will kill me ... but I like more the ¨Rivera de Duero¨than the Rioja!! Always liking both of them!!

 

[Marbe2]

I arrived in Logrono, unfortunately, on the first day of the annual wine festival in the fall 2017. I had actually hoped to visit Campo Viejo and some other bodegas while there, but soon changed my mind. The entire town was already drunk (on wine mixed with coca cola, mostly, aggg!) and I got the last bunk in the Municipal. I wound my way past all the people puking and pissing in the street, grabbed some tapas a llevar and went back to my bed. Next time I hope to explore the scene there more.

That being said, I don't think I've ever bought a supermarket vino tinto along the Camino for 4 euros that didn't taste better than anything I could get at home for much more. Faustino I comes to mind.

We were in Logrono for this festival in 2015 and would never want to return during this time. We look forward to coming through in very early March this year! When we were there during the wine festival, we could not even get into reasonable restaurant or fast food place to eat! We finally resorted to fine dining off the main area! JillGats description was quit accurate and hotels, hostels and Albergues were completely filled!

 

[SabsP]

A number of years ago I met a couple on the Camino Frances in Roncesvalles who owned a small vinyard and boutique wine label in Rioja country near Logrono. Not only did they introduce me to the world's best tapas/pinchos and wine crawl on the calle del laurel in Logrono (which unfortunately many pilgrims miss out on because the municipal albergue closes at 9pm... pilgrims should do themselves a favour and stay at a private albergue in Logrono and do the crawl 'til midnight!), but also there is a tremendous variety of amazing wines in Spain that can be found pretty cheap.

Still, while in the local supermarkets on the way, I always seem to gravitate by habit to my "go to" El Coto or Campo Viejo Rioja. Or if I feel like an albarino then Vizhoja Marques de Blanco is always good. It's time to break the chain.

Looking for favourites out there in the sub 5 euro range, that can be typically found in any supermarket on the camino. Even better are those gems in the 2-3 euro range that I can punish the wine snobs with my thriftiness.

Eroski has some decent choice in Rioja sub five Euro.
Look at the Marques de Caceres for instance.
https://www.compraonline.grupoerosk...anza-rioja-marques-de-caceres-botellin-375-cl

 

[navarro]

I arrived in Logrono, unfortunately, on the first day of the annual wine festival in the fall 2017. I had actually hoped to visit Campo Viejo and some other bodegas while there, but soon changed my mind. The entire town was already drunk (on wine mixed with coca cola, mostly, aggg!) and I got the last bunk in the Municipal. I wound my way past all the people puking and pissing in the street, grabbed some tapas a llevar and went back to my bed. Next time I hope to explore the scene there more.

That being said, I don't think I've ever bought a supermarket vino tinto along the Camino for 4 euros that didn't taste better than anything I could get at home for much more. Faustino I comes to mind.

I sorry for your bad experience in Logroño. I think you are talking about the Fiesta de la vendimia or San Mateo in September. I think you choosed a bad moment to visit this place. Its true that many teenagers drink "kalimocho" a mix of chep wine with coca-cola because is a very cheap way to get drunk. My recomendation if you want to come back to Logroño, do it in summer and enjoy of this country. Logroño is much more better than that.

 

[navarro]

A number of years ago I met a couple on the Camino Frances in Roncesvalles who owned a small vinyard and boutique wine label in Rioja country near Logrono. Not only did they introduce me to the world's best tapas/pinchos and wine crawl on the calle del laurel in Logrono (which unfortunately many pilgrims miss out on because the municipal albergue closes at 9pm... pilgrims should do themselves a favour and stay at a private albergue in Logrono and do the crawl 'til midnight!), but also there is a tremendous variety of amazing wines in Spain that can be found pretty cheap.

Still, while in the local supermarkets on the way, I always seem to gravitate by habit to my "go to" El Coto or Campo Viejo Rioja. Or if I feel like an albarino then Vizhoja Marques de Blanco is always good. It's time to break the chain.

Looking for favourites out there in the sub 5 euro range, that can be typically found in any supermarket on the camino. Even better are those gems in the 2-3 euro range that I can punish the wine snobs with my thriftiness.

It is very difficult to get "rioja wine" at that prices. You can get aceptable rioja wine in the range 6-8 euros bottle,

 

[Deleted member 56069]

I purposely tried to drink a different red wine every night. Variety being the spice of life? In most cases I would buy from the albergue I was staying at if they sold it. Failing that I would usually buy the less than 2 Euro variety from the local store/supermarket depending on the size of the town/city we happened to be in.
I was more normally than not pleased with the quality of the sub 2 Euro wine in most instances. Many bottles were merely corked with no shrink top or fancy label, but rather a small label to indicate the variety.
Often the idea that you need to spend a lot to get a good quality wine was not what I found at all in my travels in Spain and Portugal.

 

[caminoagogo]

pilgrims should do themselves a favour and stay at a private albergue in Logrono and do the crawl 'til midnight!

Duly noted. Thanks for the tip @dgallen!

 

[Saranger]

Supermarket wines in the €3-6 range are not only a great value but also delicious. That said, I’d avoid the “cheap” wines below €1. A friend and I did some “research” along our Camino and the €1 bottles are best avoided, unless your goal is cheap intoxication and the accompanying hangover! They were absolutely undrinkable compared to any wine we tried over €3.

 

[JillGat]

People from Logroño will kill me ... but I like more the ¨Rivera de Duero¨than the Rioja!! Always liking both of them!!

Bierzo wines, including the whites, are excellent, too. Don't miss the tasting rooms and the wine museum along the Camino in that region.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Don Simon, of course! Who would drink anything else?

 

[rappahannock_rev]

Of course, the real men among you will be buying 5 Euro bottles of Burned Barrel Spanish whisky!

And trust me: its absolutely worth 5 Euros!

 

[GaryAus]

Great OP. The forum should talk more about the wines of the Camino because it’s a highlight. I love my wines, but have to confess of not having tasted many Spanish wines before having 5 weeks in Spain walking the Camino. In Australia at least the wines of Italy and France are more readily available and it’s a pity we tend to forget Spain a little. But the wines of Rioja are firmly in my cellar now. I loved walking through the vineyards (even in winter) and seeing the appreciation of their wines the Spaniards seem to have. There is quality at all price points, and a few each evening were medicinal (for my feet) as well as body and soul.

 

[MeandIan]

I have a very unfortunate reaction to wine sigh. After one glass I always experience shortness of breath, nasal, blocked sinuses etc and the only wine that is less worse is moscato, a sweet wine in Australia. So when I have a glass I always take a couple of ventolin puffs and later antihistamine. When we visited Brown Brothers in Victoria, imagine my surprise when they mentioned that their sulphur content was lower than other wines. I am allergic to sulphur! No wonder I always struggle with my breathing after a single glass, and my hangover after that one glass is so much worse. Ian said sorry you’re going to have a terrible time in Spain. Hope I find something that is not too bad!

 

[Vacajoe]

LAN - you actually walk within ten miles of the winery on the CF! Difficult to find and expensive to buy in the US, but sold in most city grocery stores in Spain. However, I always asked about the locally-made village wine whenever I saw a tiny mercado in the endless villages on the Camino. For €2-3 I'd get a drinkable bottle and a very big smile from the store owner! Also, if I saw a bodega, I couldn't resist picking up a bottle or two for a picnic...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I totally agree with this! I had no idea of the tapas scene in Logroño when I first walked in 2016. But last year, my friend and I booked a pension near Calle Laurel, and together with another pilgrim had a fantastic tapas crawl. It was my friend's last night on the Camino, so it was a perfect send off.

One of my favorite tapas photos is from Logrono. I loved this picture. The ones on the right look like sailboats...so creative!