Cutting edge architecture for wine lovers to enjoy their two passions in a fun, informative way
A tour to explore the jaw-dropping architectural masterpieces of Rioja
Characteristics of the Architecture&Wine Rioja tour
Wine and Architecture go hand and hand in Rioja. How does wine influence architecture?
Winemaking has influenced architecture throughout Rioja over hundreds of years and we will show you how and why.
The pioneer was Gustav Eiffel in 1890 followed by a number of renowned international architects including: Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, Iñaki Aspiazu and Philippe Mazierres.
As a result, Rioja wineries showcase a variety of architectural styles: from Art-Déco jewels to natural gravity-fed caves, contemporary building or avant-garde temples.
Architectural wineries in Rioja
You will gain a comprehensive overview of the range of architectural styles by visiting wineries that are very different from each other: the contrast of avant-garde, 15th-century cellars and state-of-the-art wineries is the best way to understand the diversity Rioja offers.
Art & Wine marriage
There are multiple examples of the marriage of wine and architecture in Rioja.
What one may not expect is that those buildings blend in beautifully with the landscape, which just adds to La Rioja’s allure.
However, it is difficult to describe without experiencing it first-hand, therefore we invite you to discover some jaw-dropping architectural wineries with us and understand them within their context.
Number of wines tasted
You will taste 12 wines in total.
This is the itinerary of the Wine&Architecture Rioja tour:
- 9am hotel pick up and drop off
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guided tour at Marqués de Riscal, Frank Gehry’s titanium avant-garde winery in Elciego with tasting of 3 wines or guided tour at Ysios, Calatrava’s impressive building, with tasting of 3 limited edition wines paired with cold cuts.
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guided tour at a boutique 15th-century cellar with a series of interconnected galleries excavated out of bedrock. This visit will allow you to understand the origins of winemaking in Rioja and the importance of gravity back then. Tasting of 3 high-quality wines.
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Farm-to-table home-made lunch paired with 2 wines served at our private underground cellar excavated out of bedrock underneath a 12th century castle
- Tasting session of 4 high-quality wines at a contemporary architectural winery
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6pm hotel drop off
Rates per group size
SMALL GROUP TOUR: 240€ pp. Different parties sharing a tour (4 up to 7 people)
PRIVATE for 4-8: 280€ pp. A single party tour for 4 up to 8 people
PRIVATE for 2: 350€ pp. A tour for a single party of 2
LARGER PARTIES: For private parties larger than 8 people, please ask for a quotation
Payment method
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Hotel pick up and drop off in the towns of Logroño, Laguardia, Elciego, Villabuena, Haro and Briñas
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Chauffered transportation in La Rioja in a brand new 9-seater
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All admission fees and all tastings
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Lunch
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Bottled mineral water
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Guide services with an English speaking guide and wine expert
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Travel Agency Insurance
From 9am to 6pm
Booking enquiry
Other visitors’ opinions on the Architecture&Wine tour
My wife Samantha and I booked Inma for day tour of the Rioja wine region and were absolutely thrilled with the experience. As avid travelers to various wine regions globally we had lofty expectations for what we would experience and Inma did not let us down! She collected us promptly at 9:00 am from our hotel in Logrono and we had a full 9 hour personal tour of various wineries from large and renown Rioja vintners to small generational wineries that have been passed down father to sons for years. Along the way Inma shared the historic and cultural perspectives that define this very diverse and ancient wine region and gave us a very intimate look at the passion, work ethic and love of the region that drive these winemakers to produce some of the best wines in the world. The tour was highly organized with interspersed stops at architectural points of interest, from modern winery designs to medieval hilltop towns, churches and castles. Her ability to articulate the history of Rioja by explaining the regional significance of the places visited really enhanced the fantastic tastings that we enjoyed. I highly recommend her as the best tour currently available in the Rioja.
Inma picked us up exactly on time and off we went on our Wine and Architecture Tour. Not only were the buildings beautiful, but the wine was amazing. We even had a picnic lunch in a cave that Inma had made for us. It was delicious, especially her father’s tomatoes. She educated us on the wines of Rioja as well as the customs of the area. I hope to return to the region again and I will definitely be signing up for another tour. This is a very complete tour that highlights some excellent and very reasonably priced wines in Spain.
