Yet despite its ancient roots, Spain‘s La Rioja is undergoing the most modern of revolutions. The global popularity of its wines (and accompanying economic boom) has uncorked an architectural revolution that has turned ancestral wineries into avant-garde works of art dotting the pastoral landscape. Today, travelers come not only to venerate the region’s celebrated wines and cuisine, but to view some of the world’s most cutting-edge architecture.
After leaving his postmodern mark on the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, expressionist architect Frank Gehry headed about 75 miles south to Elciego, the “City of Wine.” There he imagined the Marqués de Riscal, a freeform, titanium-and-stainless-steel complex built atop one of the area’s oldest cellars. Its cubist shapes and spiraling walls add a surreal touch to this serene town, located in the Álava province. Marqués de Riscal includes a 43-guestroom hotel, world-class spa and restaurant, so you won’t have to travel far after sampling the Rioja Reserva 2002.
Other wineries worthy of a peek and a pour are Bodegas Viña Real in medieval Laguardia, one of Álava’s most important towns. Created by French architect Philippe Mazieres, Viña Real incorporates simple geometric forms in concrete, wood and steel. Also not to be missed in Laguardia: Bodegas Ysios. Conceived by Santiago Calatrava to integrate into the landscape with its mountainous backdrop, the bodega rises as a rolling, pixilated art installation among the endless rows of grapes.
All this artistic expression has found its way into La Rioja’s kitchens as well. In Ezcaray, classic and contemporary cuisines are literally served side by side at Echaurren, the region’s most famous restaurant. Fourth-generation Chef Marisa Sánchez whips up standard dishes such as blood sausage with red peppers in the main room, while right next door at El Portal, her son Francis Paniego has garnered La Rioja with its only Michelin star for his new wave take on the traditional tasting menu.
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