Bodega Marqués de Riscal, the city of wine.

Get to know the Marqués de Riscal winery, a place where gastronomy, architecture and culture merge thanks to the winemaking tradition of the Rioja Alavesa.

The Marqués de Riscal winery is one of those wineries that have traveled around the world without moving one iota from its original location. The photo of the Hotel Marqués de Riscal and the bottles produced under it are two of the most sought-after souvenirs for travelers who come to the Basque Country.

Although we all know this winery as Marqués de Riscal, its real name is Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, a winery with more than 150 years of history, which has been able to adapt to the needs of the traveler by offering a very complete wine experience: winery, hotel and spa.

The fusion of the history of the Marqués de Riscal Winery (1858, one of the oldest in the Rioja Alavesa), the architecture of Frank Gerhy (one of the most striking architects of today), the modern spa (an exclusive wine therapy center) and the restaurant (awarded a Michelin star and led by Chef Francis Paniego), has meant a real bombshell in the tourist experiences surrounding the wine world of our territory.

We set course to Elciego called by the incredible power of attraction of this winery in the Rioja Alavesa, we wanted to know in first person this temple to which thousands of people go on pilgrimage. Do you want to know if it will be worth the visit to the winery Marqués de Riscal? We will tell you in detail. Let’s start.

Marqués de Riscal has contributed to professionalize the wine sector of our land through innovation and transformation. These facts have helped it to create high quality wines of which, at present, more than 65% are consumed abroad. In 110 countries, almost nothing.

Before going to visit this winery, many people catalogued it as international, a stereotype, often accompanied by descriptions such as winery “without identity”, “without history” and “without tradition”, nothing could be further from the truth. We respect and support people who shy away from this type of wineries, but in our opinion, under no circumstances can the Marqués de Riscal winery be associated with this profile.

History Marqués de Riscal: The tradition of this winery is one of its most outstanding attractions. If we leave aside the already famous building by Frank Gerhy and go back to 1858 (the year in which the winery was created), we find an evolution worthy of admiration. Here are some of the most important milestones of Marqués de Riscal:

Witness to the history of Marqués de Riscal, we find the bottle with which they managed to make the Canadian architect Frank Gerhy fall in love. And the fact is that when those responsible for the winery met with Frank in Elciego, they tasted two bottles of 1929, the year in which the architect was born and with which they showed the winemaking tradition that they keep within its walls (especially in La Catedral de Marqués de Riscal).

Location: The Rioja Alavesa is a land of plurality, it is a land of vineyards and olive trees, it is a land of international and family wineries, it is a land of centuries-old and modern trujales, it is a land rich in culture and history, but above all, it is a rural environment with a lot of charm. It is here, where we find the small town of Elciego, a traditional village located in the south of the Rioja Alavesa. The small stone houses and the colorful plots of vineyards contrast with the modern titanium structure that we find in the winery, a contrast that creates a somewhat curious place. This municipality appears in several writings dated 1067 and found in San Millán de la Cogolla, a written testimony that makes clear the importance of this urban center since ancient times.

How to get there: The Ciudad del Vino complex is located next to the road to Elciego, in the lower part, near the town center. The titanium plates give it away from the distance, you can’t miss it. The best way to get to Marqués de Riscal is by road. The nearest airport(Bilbao) and the nearest medium/long distance train station (Logroño) are 90 and 30 minutes away respectively.

Family winery vs International winery: Family or international winery? For our part, after visiting family wineries such as Alutiz in Samaniego or Gonzalez Teso in Labastida and international wineries such as Viña Real in Laguardia or Marqués de Riscal in Elciego, the debate is settled. Whether in a family winery or an international winery, the wine experience is always loaded with the history and culture of our land. One of the axes on which all good tourism should be based.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal: Although unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to see the interior of the hotel during the visit (which is understandable). The view we got from the outside left us with a very good taste in our mouths. For this reason, we decided to participate in the “game” proposed by the winery at the end of the visit. A short list of questions that, if answered correctly, will lead us to the raffle of a stay for two people in this titanium palace. Fingers crossed.

Frank Gerhy’s contribution once again fills another corner of the Basque Country with vitality and dynamism. Remember that the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was the first structure with which we fell in love. Of the 43 rooms available, only a few are located in the building we all know, the rest are next to the spa,

Guided tour of the Marqués de Riscal winery: The tour begins and ends at the Marqués de Riscal store and bar, a visitor center located next to the main parking lot, parallel to the road. After paying for the tour, 12€ per person, we receive an accreditation of a certain color that we must wear visible during the tour to help distinguish the group to which we belong (there are many groups depending on time and language).

Once the group was united at the starting point, at the back door of the store, we checked the power of attraction of the Marqués de Riscal winery, 30 people per group, almost nothing. Although at first it may seem a disproportionate group, the large spaces of the complex and the great organization by those in charge, make this experience a pleasant and enjoyable visit, without problems of oversizing. Of course, we remain faithful to our way of thinking, the smaller the better.

A video introduces us to the world of Marqués de Riscal, a small presentation that together with the model of the city of wine represents the beginning of the visit. Once outside the winery, we reach the vicinity of the hotel. It is at this point of the winery where you can enjoy one of the best views over the town of Elciego, the camera moment arrives, impossible to resist. We must emphasize that we do not visit the hotel, only its surroundings, which is totally logical.

We leave behind the exclusive hotel complex to get to know the essence of Marqués de Riscal, the winery. We start touring its different naves, mixing antiquity and modernity in equal parts. Of all the rooms, the most striking is the so-called Cathedral of Marqués de Riscal, an old wine cellar where authentic relics, real jewels, can be found.

We reached the final part, it is here where we discovered the huge bottle cellar with a capacity of 3,600,000 bottles and the incredible laboratory and facilities where their wines are produced. Immaculate, modern, it looks like an operating room, amazing! The wine tasting was the end of our visit to the Marqués de Riscal winery. A great end in which we had the opportunity to taste a white and a red wine of the house (Marqués de Riscal Verdejo (D.O. Rueda) and Marqués de Riscal Reserva (D.O.Ca. Rioja)), both very good. What is a visit to a winery without tasting its wines? The heat was pressing and we fell in love with the freshness and fruity character of the white.

Meanwhile, the stronger, fuller-bodied red was the flavor with which we closed our visit.

Price: The name of Marqués de Riscal always gives a certain amount of respect when we talk about prices. You have to pay for the good things. However, after comparing prices with other wineries in the Rioja Alavesa, we must conclude that the €12 guided tour is a good value for money. A rate, according to the market price and the experience offered, even cheaper than other wineries we have visited. On the other hand, if we analyze the prices of the hotel and spa, it is clear that they play in another league, in another category. We have made a booking simulation for a double room on a Saturday in September with breakfast included and the final price is 429€, while the cheapest spa treatment is 85€ per person. Exclusive prices for exclusive experiences. Prices that reminded us of our stay at the Aire de Bardenas hotel, in the Natural Park of Bardenas Reales.

Attention: During the 90 minutes of the visit, our guide, Elena, immersed us in the world of Marqués de Riscal through anecdotes, stories and answering the occasional shy question from visitors.

How to book: At this point we are sure you want to book your guided tour of the Marqués de Riscal winery. Here is some information on how to make your reservation. We have 3 different ways to make your reservation. Online ticket purchase, reservation form, by phone (945 180 888) or by email (reservas.marquesderiscal@luxurycollection.com). There is the opportunity to make this visit together with another of the attractions of Araba, the Salt Valley, for 15,45€.

Restaurant: We have not enjoyed the creations of chef Francis Paniego, so we can say little or nothing. However, the signature cuisine he practices has led him to obtain a Michelin star, it promises.

The visit to the Marqués de Riscal winery is a 100% recommendable experience in the Rioja Alavesa wine region. An experience that we recommend to live together with another visit to a more familiar winery to get a global vision of our wine artists.