Designer wineries in Rioja – Spain riojainstyle.com

Be prepared to be blown away by the ground-breaking architecture and designs that several of Rioja’s most famous wineries have employed on their estates.
Where to go in Rioja: iconic architecture
You may be surprised to discover that La Rioja region of Spain is becoming increasingly known for its avant-garde architecture and design from the 20th and 21st centuries. On your Rioja in Style wine tour, we can arrange for you to visit these startling buildings.

It was the Marques de Riscal hotel that first put Rioja in the limelight of the design world. It is the only hotel designed by Frank Gehry, who of course is famous for Bilbao’s Guggenheim and Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Gehry explains the inspiration behind the complexity of the the Marques de Riscal hotel building, that his aim was to reflect the character of the Rioja region and its famous vintage. And it is impressive – the hotel’s facade is constructed of giant titanium ribbons, in sha des representing the pink hues of Rioja wine, the silver foil that would shield the cork, and the gold mesh which distinctively adorns all Marqués de Riscal bottles.

Elsewhere, more contemporary architecture that honours Rioja wine and provides up-to-the-minute technology is the Campo Viejo Winery, designed by Ignacio Quemada. It’s the biggest wine ageing cellar in Europe, and has won an award for its integration with the landscape in La Rioja. The slick and modern visitors’ centre overlooks the vineyard, mimicking a château, whilst the wine cellar was built underground in honour of traditional cellars, and is built into the hill like a work of art.