- Where
- Marqués de Riscal, Elciego, Rioja, Spain
- @marquesderiscal
- Reviewed
- July 6, 2026 · updated September 17, 2026
Spain · winery
Marqués de Riscal
the 1858 Rioja bodega wrapped in a Frank Gehry roof
Founded in 1858, Marqués de Riscal was already one of Spain's most iconic bodegas. In 2006, Frank Gehry, the architect behind the Bilbao Guggenheim, transformed it into an architectural destination, wrapping the hotel in ribbons of titanium in the colors of Riscal wine. Today, winery tours sell out weeks in advance.
A working winery in Rioja Alavesa that has been bottling wine since 1862 and, since 2006, sits under a hotel clad in pink, gold and silver titanium by the architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim. Here is how a visit works, what the tours cost, how to book, and how to get to Elciego.
Quick facts
- What it is
- Rioja bodega founded 1858 · Frank Gehry hotel and City of Wine since 2006
- Tours
- 90 min from 30 EUR (~$35 USD) · longer tastings at 45 and 60 EUR
- Hours
- Daily 10:00 to 19:00 · tours in six languages
- Booking
- marquesderiscal.com · +34 945 180 888 · book weeks ahead in season
- Eating there
- Four restaurants on site, overseen by chef Francis Paniego
- Getting there
- Calle Torrea 1, Elciego · 25 min from Logroño, 1 hr 15 from Bilbao
What Marqués de Riscal is
Marqués de Riscal is a working Rioja winery in Elciego, a village of about a thousand people in Rioja Alavesa, the slice of the Rioja wine region that sits inside the Basque province of Álava. It was founded in 1858 by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, the first Marqués de Riscal, who brought Bordeaux methods and Bordeaux vines to a region that was still selling wine in casks. The 1862 vintage is generally credited as the first Rioja to be sold in bottles.
The reason most people arrive today is the roof. In 2006 the estate opened the Ciudad del Vino, or City of Wine, a complex built around a hotel designed by Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The building is a tangle of titanium ribbons in pink, gold and silver, colours chosen to match a bottle of Riscal: pink for the wine, gold for the wire braid around the bottle, silver for the capsule. It sits directly on top of the nineteenth century stone cellars, which is the part of the site that still does the work.
So the place is two things at once. It is a bodega that produces at industrial scale and keeps a historic cellar known as the Cathedral, holding bottles from every vintage since 1862. It is also a hotel, spa and restaurant complex that has made Elciego a stop on architecture itineraries. The winery tour is the way to see both.
Who is behind it
The estate is still run under the name Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, the heirs of the founding family. Frank Gehry designed the hotel, which opened in October 2006 and is operated as part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection. The kitchens across the site are overseen by Francis Paniego, the first chef from La Rioja to win Michelin recognition, who also runs El Portal de Echaurren in Ezcaray.
Awards and press
- World’s Best Vineyards 2024: first place worldwide, the top ranking in the wine tourism list.
- World’s Best Vineyards 2021, 2022 and 2023: second in the world and first in Europe, three years running.
- World’s Best Vineyards Hall of Fame 2025: the first Spanish winery inducted.
- Michelin Guide Spain: the gastronomic restaurant held one star and left the star list in the 2025 selection, announced in November 2024.
How a visit works
Visits run daily from 10:00 to 19:00 and are guided, in Spanish, English, French, German, Chinese or Romanian. You cannot wander the cellars alone. There are four main formats.
- Visit Marqués de Riscal 1, 90 minutes. The winery and the vineyard, then a tasting of three wines with Rioja snacks. The standard choice and the one families take.
- Visit Marqués de Riscal Sublimme, 90 minutes. The same shape with a more premium wine selection.
- Visit Marqués de Riscal 2, 1 hour 45 minutes, adults only. Three aged wines tasted with cheese and cured meats.
- Visit Marqués de Riscal 3, 1 hour 45 minutes, adults only. Premium aged vintages with Iberian ham.
A combined ticket pairs the winery with the Añana Salt Valley, a salt works a short drive away, for 40 EUR per adult.
What a tour covers
The guided route takes in the modern production halls, the nineteenth century cellars, the Cathedral with its bottles going back to 1862, and views up at the Gehry structure from below. The tasting is at the end. If the architecture is what brought you, the outside of the hotel can be walked and photographed without a ticket, but the interiors and the cellars cannot.
What it costs
Prices are the current published rates from the winery. They are per person and include the tasting.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Visit Marqués de Riscal 1, adult | 30 EUR, about 35 USD |
| Visit Sublimme, adult | 31 EUR, about 36 USD |
| Visit 2, adults only | 45 EUR, about 52 USD |
| Visit 3, adults only | 60 EUR, about 69 USD |
| Children 11 to 17 on the standard visit | 14 EUR |
| Children 3 to 11 on the standard visit | 4 EUR |
| Winery plus Añana Salt Valley, adult | 40 EUR, about 46 USD |
Meals and hotel rooms are separate and considerably more. The hotel has 61 rooms and suites and does not publish a flat nightly rate; third-party listings in 2026 quote anything from a couple of hundred euros in the quiet months to well over a thousand in high season, so price it for your own dates rather than trusting a headline figure. Older articles quoting 16 EUR tours are out of date.
How to book
- Online at marquesderiscal.com, on the visit pages.
- Phone: +34 945 180 888.
- Email: reservations.marquesderiscal@marriott.com.
- Booking office hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 to 19:00, Saturday 09:00 to 17:00.
Book well ahead. Tours here fill weeks in advance in summer and around harvest, and the adults-only tastings run in small groups. Restaurant tables and hotel rooms go through the same booking centre.
Getting there
- Address: Calle Torrea 1, 01340 Elciego, Álava, Spain.
- From Logroño: about 25 minutes by car, the closest city and the easiest base.
- From Vitoria-Gasteiz: about 45 minutes.
- From Bilbao and Bilbao airport: roughly 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Public transport: there is no useful bus or train to Elciego for a timed tour. Drive, take a taxi from Logroño, or book a guided wine tour that includes transport.
- Parking: on site at the City of Wine.
If you are driving and tasting, plan who is not drinking. Spanish drink-drive limits are lower than many visitors expect.
Before you go
- Book first, drive second. Turning up without a reservation usually means seeing the outside of the building only.
- The hotel areas are for guests. The pool and the Caudalie spa are not open to tour visitors.
- No pets on the winery premises, guide dogs excepted.
- Wear closed shoes. Cellar floors are wet and uneven in places.
- Pair it with Ysios. The other Calatrava-roofed winery in Rioja Alavesa is about 20 minutes away and is far more relaxed about walk-ins, which makes the two a natural pairing in one day. See my Ysios review.
- Eat on site if you have time. Four restaurants share the complex, from the Asador Torrea grill to the Vinoteca bistro, and they save you a drive after a tasting.
- Check the hours before you go. The hours on this page come from the venue’s public listings, which drift, so confirm on Google Maps or the venue’s own channels before a special trip.
Watch the visit
The reel above is the short version of the titanium and the cellars underneath it. For everything else I have filmed in Spain, open my map or browse the rest of the Spain recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tour of Marqués de Riscal cost?+
The standard 90 minute visit at Marqués de Riscal is 30 EUR per adult, about 35 USD, and includes the winery, the vineyard and a tasting of three wines with Rioja snacks. Longer adults-only tastings run at 45 EUR and 60 EUR. Children aged 11 to 17 pay 14 EUR on the standard tour, 3 to 11 pay 4 EUR, and under twos are free.
Do I need to book a visit in advance?+
Yes. Tours at Marqués de Riscal regularly sell out weeks ahead, particularly in summer and at harvest. Book through marquesderiscal.com, by phone on +34 945 180 888, or by email at reservations.marquesderiscal@marriott.com. The booking office answers Monday to Friday 09:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 17:00.
Who designed the Marqués de Riscal hotel?+
Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The building opened in October 2006 and is wrapped in titanium ribbons in three colours chosen to echo the wine and the bottle: pink for red wine, gold for the wire mesh braid on a Riscal bottle, and silver for the foil capsule. It sits directly above the nineteenth century cellars.
Does Marqués de Riscal have a Michelin star?+
Not currently. The gastronomic restaurant at Marqués de Riscal, overseen by chef Francis Paniego, held one Michelin star for years and lost it in the 2025 Spain selection, announced in November 2024. Paniego himself still holds stars at his other restaurants. The food on site remains ambitious, but do not go expecting a starred address.
Can you visit Marqués de Riscal without staying at the hotel?+
Yes. The winery tours are open to the public and are the normal way to see the site, as is eating at one of the restaurants. The hotel itself, its pool and its Caudalie spa are for guests only. You can walk around the outside of the Gehry building and photograph it freely.
What is the Cathedral at Marqués de Riscal?+
It is the nickname for the historic cellar under the bodega, where the estate keeps bottles from every vintage since 1862. That first 1862 harvest is widely described as the first Rioja sold in bottles rather than in casks or demijohns. The cellar is part of what the guided visit covers.
Where is Marqués de Riscal and how do I get there?+
Calle Torrea 1, 01340 Elciego, in the province of Álava, Rioja Alavesa. It is about 25 minutes by car from Logroño, 45 minutes from Vitoria-Gasteiz and roughly an hour and fifteen minutes from Bilbao. There is no practical public transport to Elciego, so drive, take a taxi from Logroño, or join an organised wine tour.
Is Marqués de Riscal suitable for children?+
Partly. The standard 90 minute visit has reduced prices for children and under twos go free, so families can do the main tour together. The two longer tastings are restricted to adults aged 18 and over. Pets are not allowed on the winery premises apart from guide dogs.
