Rioja: wine and bodegas with a modern twist

The North Spanish Rioja region is generally associated with red wine, and rightly so. But the dynamic character that permeates every aspect of the local viniculture invites a closer look.

The wine culture in this region of rolling hills and valleys around the Ebro river is centuries old - the name is derived from a tributary viz. the Rio Oja. Partially located on the pilgrims’ route to Santiago de Compostela, its geography has certainly paid dividends for the winegrowers here. The region around the wine capital Logroño is dotted with monasteries and churches.

Over the last ten years, however, these aged edifices have faced increasing competition from the modern (wine) cathedrals, due in part to the new wind that is blowing through the local wine industry. In Logroño itself the bodegas of Darien and Campo Viejo (out in the fields!) have a modernist appearance. To the west is one of the absolute eye-catchers with the spectacular bodega annex hotel of Marqués de Riscal in Elciego. It’s a copy of Frank Gehry’s own Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. In the neighbouring village of Laguardia, another star architect left his mark: Santiago Calatrava (bodegas Ysios). To the west (Samaniego and Haro in particular) you’ll find a whole series of renowned Rioja houses. Zaha Hadid, who designed the Havenhuis in Antwerp, designed a new bodega there for the house López de Heredia Viña Tondonia.

And what about the wines themselves? De gustibus non est disputandum, there’s no accounting for taste. It’s best to trust your own taste buds and visit the local wineries. Keep in mind that most Rioja wines are made from the tempranillo grape and therefore produce red wines.

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