Project Description
La Rioja
ARCHITECTURE OF WINE TOUR
In the debacle of form versus function, Spanish wineries have been teaching the world a lesson in inspiring architecture. Wine is a living product; it deserves a home to grow that not only provides an optimal environment but also impresses the eye since wine tourism is becoming one of Spain`s most sought-after products. World-renowned architects have been joining forces with traditional winemakers to develop wineries that not only produce top-quality wines but have become cultural attractions themselves. In this tour, perfect for lovers of wine and architecture, you will get to discover some of these places at one of Spain`s most iconic wine meccas: the Rioja.
Are you ready for a journey that will impress all your senses?
Welcome to the Rioja!
DAY
1
ARRIVAL AT THE LOGROÑO
Arrival at the Logroño airport and private transfer to your accommodation.
You will have the day free to explore the city as you wish.
At night, you will be treated to a welcome dinner at one of the best traditional Spanish restaurants of Logroño.
Return to your hotel and overnight.
DAY
2
DISCOVERING LOGROÑO AND CALATRAVA
After breakfast, you will meet your guide to start a city tour of the beautiful city of Logroño. Crossed by the Ebro River and an obligatory stop on the French Camino de Santiago, Logroño has kept its medieval charm and cozy atmosphere. You will start the tour at the old medieval wall, and explore the historic center. Passing by the incredibly photogenic Portales street, you will be able to admire its colorful buildings. After you reach the market square, you can head to Laurel Street, the gastronomic epicenter of the city, where you will get to try some local delicacies like the traditional «champis» (mushrooms) while tasting delicious Rioja wines.
In the afternoon, you will visit Bodegas Ysios. A work of the celebrated Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the bodega was built in 2001 and was the first of the «Bodegas de Autor» (author bodegas), a series of avant-garde constructions wineries that combine production, tasting, and sale of the wine.
Bodegas Ysios, whose name is a tribute to the Egyptian gods, intimately related to the world of wine, Isis and Osiris. Also inspired by the channels of the Nile River are the “channels” that surround the winery. You will get to visit the building, the vineyards, and, of course, end your visit with a wine tasting!
Return to your hotel and overnight.
DAY
3
THE CAPITAL OF RIOJA
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and board your private transfer to the city of Haro, the capital of the Rioja wines. Your first stop will be at the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, where you will get to discover the history of the Rioja wine culture and understand its wines. After that, you will head to Bodegas Beronia, a sustainable architectural milestone without comparison in the wine sector that highlights the brand`s commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Through technological innovations such as its environmental design, efficient waste management, or its revolutionary system for harnessing geothermal energy to air-condition the facilities and promote lower energy consumption, this is one of the most efficient and sustainable wineries in Europe. You will visit the building and discover more about the project, and end the tour with a taste of their delicious wines.
Free evening in Haro. Overnight.
DAY
4
DISCOVERING THE WINES OF RIOJA
After breakfast, you will board your private transfer to visit Bodegas Baigorri, an emblematic building and a world reference in orienting its architecture at the service of the winemaking process by gravity.
Designed and built by the architect Iñaki Aspiazu in 2002, in this project gravity and technology come together to work in harmony to obtain, with the transformation of the grape, some of the greatest wines from La Rioja Alavesa. After visiting the bodegas and the vineyards, you will have a harmonized menu to try their wines.
Return to Haro and free evening. Overnight.
DAY
5
THE TRADITION OF THE RIOJA WINES
After breakfast, you will meet your private guide for a walking tour through Haro. You will walk through the historical center, the Plaza de la Paz square, and its surroundings with its many palaces. For lunch, you will be part of a gastronomic tour at the Herradura neighborhood, formed by the parallel streets of Santo Tomás and San Martín, which together with the Santo Tomás church square, is the approximate shape of a horseshoe, hence the name. Along with the Plazuela de San Martín, a charming square, here you will find the most typical and best restaurants and bars in the city. You will end the tour by walking by the Bodegas Lopez de Heredia (visit not included), which between its traditional buildings and the new, modern annex created by no one else than Zaha Hadid, offers a very interesting counterpoint to traditional and contemporary architecture.
Free evening. Overnight.
DAY
6
AN ARCHITECTURAL ICON
After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel and board your private transfer to Hotel-Bodega Finca de Los Arandinos. With its contemporary, clean lines and minimalist design, the architecture of the building makes an estatement: our focus is the vineyards, and its beautiful natural Riojan landscapes. After touring the complex, that offers a hotel, a spa, and the bodega, you will sit down for a taste of their wines accopanied by some delicious food.
In the afternoon, you will visit one of the world`s most impressive bodegas, the Bodega-Hotel Marqués de Riscal. Designed by Frank Gehry, known for the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and many other iconic buildings worldwide. Considered one of the most avant-garde wineries of the world, here you will visit the complex called Ciudad del Vino, the city of wine: the impressive vineyards, the old buildings, the main building, made of sandstone and a titanium roof, that houses a hotel and two restaurants, one of them awarded a Michelin Star, plus a spa. The hotel roof aims to represent red wine (pink), the characteristic golden mesh of the Marqués de Riscal bottles (gold), and the capsule of said bottles (silver). You will end the day by tasting their award-winning wines before going back to Logroño for the night for a farewell dinner. Overnight.
DAY
7
ADIÓS RIOJA!
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for your return flight.
End of tour services. Adiós, Rioja! Goodbye, Rioja!
Please take note that this program is given depending on the sanitary conditions in 2022.
Depending on the Covid-19 evolution, gauges could be established and sites could be closed by our partners.
The agency reserves the right to modify or reverse the order of visits for the benefit of the traveler.
