Rioja Wine Harvest Festival
Celebrations declared as being of tourist interest, held in Logroño during a week around the 21st of September. On the 21st, the feast day of San Mateo, there is a traditional ceremony in the main square, the Paseo del Espolón, in which the first must of the new harvest is offered to the patron saint of La Rioja, Our Lady of Valvanera.
This must is produced through traditional crushing of the grapes by two men dressed in regional costume, treading barefoot, with their arms interlinked as they press the bunches of grapes emptied into the large wooden tub, with a circular dance-like movement, until the couple dressed in regional dress known as the Vendimiadores Mayores of the festival can fill a jug with the first juice to offer to the statue of the Virgin of Valvanera.
During this week of revelry in Logroño, there is a carnival procession, gastronomic tastings organised by the social clubs known as “peñas”, a programme of bullfights, the San Mateo “pelota” tournament in the Adarraga “Fronton” court, concerts, theatre, live music in the street, firework displays over the river Ebro, etc.
The festival complete programme is published on Logroño city hall’s web site once it has been finalised at www.logro-o.org .