Marques de Rsical Hotel

Shrouded in fog, the undulating land is sometimes hard to see in Spain’s La Rioja Alavesa region. But seemingly at every turn, in every available space, the brilliance of grape leaves in the fall can’t be denied, even on a misty morning.

The perfectly designed vineyards – row upon row upon row of vines – stretch literally as far as the eye can see, even in this mist. The vines are sleeping now, as my guide put it, dropping their beautifully-hued leaves as the colder weather comes in. Soon, it will be time to cut back the vines and await the new growth.

It seems a bit as the region is sleeping, too; the tasting rooms of the fine wineries here that produce such full-bodied reds are practically empty, the streets and walkways of the towns that the vineyards surround – Elciego, Logrono, the charming medieval town of Laguardia – quiet, even first thing in the morning.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that what is most undoubtedly one of the world’s most striking hotels is smack in the middle of this quiet countryside.

 The Frank Gehry-designed Marqués de Riscal Hotel in Elciego offers just 43 rooms, right on the winery for which it is named. Out every window, there’s a glimpse of a vineyard, the village, or a view of the original 1860 winery. The modern hotel structure shares some of the basic earthy elements that are the charm of this city and its wineries: limestone walls, hand-molded clay tile roofs and soaring spaces.

This sleek hotel plays off the colors of the village and adds a dramatic twist that celebrates the winery on which it sits. Waves of pink, gold and silver titanium wrap the structure, enfolding its simple lines into the greater swirls of the metal, creating a testament to the winemaking of Marqués de Riscal. The pink metal represents the color of the wine, the silver the foil which wraps the top of the bottle. The gold is a nod to the winery’s signature gold wire netting. There are just 43 rooms in the hotel, including a few suites.

The rooms are sleek, plush and loaded with every imaginable amenity, from gigantic bathrooms to a high-tech lighting system, modern furniture and light wood floors. A glass walkway connects the main building to the secondary building, and while at first I was a bit bummed not to be staying in the main building, that almost ethereal walk back and forth – plus the view of the main hotel – quickly dashed that.

Time to taste

Aging in the barrel

The winery’s tasting room is just steps away; tastings are held on a walk-in basis but tours of the winery – from the first bodega from 1860 through the more modern operations – are available by appointment only.  

Winery door

The grapes grown in the vineyards which surround the new hotel are a variety of red grapes; Marqués de Riscal has other vineyards in another region of Spain where the grapes for its white wines are grown. But here in La Rioja, it’s all about the red grapes – tempernillo, graciano, and mazuelo blended to create the winery’s signature reserva or reserve wine. That’s the wine seen most often here in the United States, with the gold wire netting (find it at Wine Market on Spottswood and Buster’s on Highland, among other stores). My personal favorite – and of course most expensive – of the wines from Marqués de Riscal was the Barón de Chirel – a very limited edition wine made from old vine fruit. A to die for red that’s become my favorite.