Masters of Gravity

The imposing titanium waves by Gehry seem to float over the vineyards challenging gravity. You don’t want to miss this dramatic sight during your Rioja wine tour. At the heart of Marques de Riscal’s City of Wine, innovation and tradition combine, with one of the oldest Rioja wineries (1858) and a luxury hotel designed by Frank Gehry.

Our itinerary about best rioja wineries to visit continues to the aristocratic Station District. From the end of the 19th century, the wine gentry hired the most recognised artists to show their status to the world. The Industrial Revolution with Eiffel’s cast-iron architecture, the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau and Catalan Modernism influenced winemakers to make a perfect pairing between wine and architecture. It still stands today with famous architects like Zaha Hadid working with local wineries.

Much like an underground scientific base, the modest entrance to the Station District’s wine cellars doesn’t hint at the subterranean high-tech complex that is an ancient Rioja tradition. Here you will see first-hand how a gravity flow winery allows for the wine to stream from ground floor level, crushing downwards and finally reaching the bottle-ageing room.