Marqués de Riscal Bodega – Elciego, La Rioja, Spain

Since we were going to be driving through the region of La Rioja, which is famous for its delicious red wines, we knew we HAD to stop at a winery for some wine tasting.  Martin did some research and found that one of the oldest bodegas, Marqués de Riscal, actually has one of the most interesting buildings.

We learned from our tour guide that this building is actually a hotel added to the winery to bring the brand of Marqués de Riscal into the 21st century.  The architect, Frank Gehry, found inspiration from the colors of the wine and its bottle and also the curving lines of the grape vines.  One night’s stay costs€300 and they even have a spa with French wine therapy.

Above is where the fermentation process happens and below is where the wine is being aged inside oak barrels.

This part was really impressive to me.  This room contains bottles of wine that are over a hundred years old.  They reserve these bottles for super special occasions like a visit by the king or convincing Frank Gehry to design their hotel.

Here is the bottling and packing factory.

At the wine tasting we tried their white, which is light, crisp and fruity and the red, which has a bold, woody and fruity body.  I love love love red Spanish wine and I sure will miss it!