Rioja PREMIUM

Be advised - the day will be long. Three TOP wineries to visit, many TOP glasses of wine to analyze, TOP a la carte seasonal lunch and all of that in TOP, private atmosphere. Not enough? The odd town full of monuments (with a Baroque church in case sins had to be purged) with more than 800 years of history. Ultra-modern wineries designed by world-famous architects? Of course. Come and see.

The Oldest Wine Caves & Hemingway

We’ll stop in the heart of the Rioja Alta region, a short distance from Haro and Briones, in a small town with a long winemaking history. 

The winery has spectacular underground cellars that were first opened at the end of the Middle Ages. Nowadays all this work is a marvel of conservation. A historical gem of huge value in terms of heritage that has a surprising combination of iconic character and practicality. Today, bottles from legendary vintages such as 1892, 1918, 1948 and 1964 still lie in its depths…if Hemingway was alive, he would tell you more stories.

Wine & More Wine

Next, we’ll visit two more wineries, where we’ll taste a selection of their best wines, from the most classic to the most young and edgy, aligned with the latest and most revolutionary trends. Touring the facilities, learning about artisanal methods, and about the labeling and classification system of wines in Spain - the sleeping giant of the wine world.

Gehry’s Cathedral

Hasta hace pocos años, Elciego era otro hermoso pueblo de La Rioja Alavesa con una descomunal iglesia barroca y muchas bodegas a su alrededor. Todo eso cambió en el año 2006 con la inauguración de las nuevas bodegas de Marqués de Riscal diseñadas por Frank O. Gehry, un torbellino de titanio que flota sobre el mar de viñas.

Walls & tunnels

Laguardia doesn’t have a building as modern as Gehry's, but that’s its charm: narrow streets, an urban plan in the shape of a medieval almond, cobblestone streets, walls, an extensive network of tunnels used as warehouses, and a church with one of the most fantastic polychrome porticoes in Europe.

A La Carte

 It’s time for lunch and for that we’ll visit Laugardia’s best. An elegant, family-run restaurant. They enjoy what they do, and they like people to enjoy the results of their work. They like simple things. Traditional cuisine, with local and seasonal products. They preserve, but also add a modern twist to the recipes of their grandmothers. Seasonal, local, with love…and (of course) wine!