What to do · Laguardia and the Rioja Alavesa
Visit to Marqués de Riscal and Gehry's hotel in Elciego
Information
- From
- €30 per adult (11–17 years €14, 3–10 years €4)
- Duration
- 1 h 30
- Season
- All year, every day
- Who it's for
- Adults; children's rates on the basic visit
Elciego is about 7 km south-west of Laguardia, already close to the Ebro: ten minutes by car. There Marqués de Riscal, a winery founded in 1858, built its City of Wine, with the hotel designed by Frank O. Gehry: sheets of coloured titanium and steel above the town, opened in 2006. The building can be seen from all over the town and from the road, and it is what many people come to see; the visit, however, is of the winery and vineyard.
Four visits and what you taste on each
All tour the winery and the Elciego vineyard and finish with a tasting. The wines and the time vary:
- Marqués de Riscal Visit 1: 90 minutes. You taste Marqués de Riscal Verdejo Sobre Lías Finas, Arienzo Crianza and Marqués de Riscal Reserva, with Riojan chorizo and salchichón. €30 per adult.
- Sublimme Visit: the same, with an extra glass of Sublimme by Riscal. €31.
- Marqués de Riscal Visit 2: 1 h 45 min. Finca Montico, Finca Torrea and Marqués de Riscal Gran Reserva, with cheese and cured meats. €45.
- Marqués de Riscal Visit 3: 1 h 45 min. Marqués de Riscal Limousin, XR de Marqués de Riscal and Barón de Chirel, with cheese, chorizo and Iberian ham. €60.
The winery opens every day of the year, including public holidays, from 10:00 to 19:00, and gives its visits in Spanish, English, French, German, Chinese and Romanian. Choose the language when you book.
With children, and with the Salt Valley
The two 90-minute visits admit children at their own rate: €14 from 11 to 17 years, €4 from 3 to 10 and free up to 2. Visits 2 and 3 are only for over-18s. If you are going as a family, the basic one is the one that fits.
The winery also offers a combined visit with the Salt Valley of Añana, a salt works about 75 km away: €40 for adults, with prices by age band down to free from 0 to 2 years. The Salt Valley is booked separately, at vallesalado.com or on 945 351 111. It is a full day by car: do not combine it with more wineries.
Booking and getting to Calle Torrea
Visits are bought online on its website, on 945 180 888 or at [email protected]. The switchboard is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 17:00. If you are staying at the Marqués de Riscal hotel, the visit is booked with the reservations department, not on the website; members of its club do the same. Animals are not allowed on the premises, except guide dogs.
The winery is at Calle Torrea 1, in Elciego. The Laguardia bus does not go there: come by car or taxi, and if you are going to taste, let someone who is not drinking drive.
Tips
- Book in autumn During the harvest and on long weekends the visits fill up; buy your ticket days ahead.
- The great reservas, on visit 3 If what interests you is tasting Barón de Chirel or XR, go straight for the €60 one; the basic one tastes a verdejo, a crianza and a reserva.
- Make it a full day The plan Sunday in Laguardia combines the old town in the morning and Riscal in the afternoon; to taste beforehand in a cellar, El Fabulista has sessions from 11:30.
Frequently asked questions
Can you enter the Gehry building without staying there?
The building is the hotel. The winery visit tours the grounds, from where it can be seen well; to go in, book at its restaurants or stay there.
Can children go to Marqués de Riscal?
Yes, on the basic visit and the Sublimme one, at a reduced rate. Visits 2 and 3 are for over-18s.
How much does the visit cost?
From €30 per adult for the 90-minute one with three wines; €45 and €60 for the 1 h 45 min ones.
Is it open on public holidays?
Yes: every day, from 10:00 to 19:00.
Can you go with a dog?
No; only guide dogs are allowed.
As a familyWith teenagersWith friends
Who runs it
- Marqués de RiscalMarqués de Riscal Visit 1: Elciego winery and vineyard with tasting of three wines and Rioja cured meats Visit their website
