A few days off: La Rioja

Rioja is a serious wine producing area, probably the most well known in Spain. The area between Haro and Laguardia is an extraordinary landscape. A lumpy, terraced plain that would look good in a fantasy movie. There are lots of little hills with a winery, tower, pile of stones or town on top. In between are acres of carefully tended vines and uncultivated rocky outcrops. The landscape has many different levels, some are the result of the underlying geology and some have been terraced, in places it is difficult to tell which is which. This photo does not do it justice:

This is slightly better - but for the best view you reallly need to go and see it for yourself/

The bodegas where the wine is made range from crumbling sheds to spectacular pieces of modern architecture.

Bodega Biagorri: View from the road
(pic from their website)

Bodega Biagorri: model showing underground winery and cave.
(pic from their website)

Bodega Ysais in distance

Bodega Ysais close up

Taking a lead from the Guggenheim in Bilbao Bodega Marques de Riscal had Frank Gehry design their Hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego. It is striking and bling at the same time.

Is it a hat? Philip Treacy eat your heart out. (pic from their web site)

They try to shield their guests from prying eyes with high walls and cladding on the surrounding fences but have put a terrace bar on the roof which can be seen for miles.

Cladding doing a lousy job shielding roof terrace

Like many fences they are only there to reinforce the idea that you can't come in, while at the same time showing you  what you are missing - sort of envy-generating barriers...

Most of their publicity shots show the building in isolation or in rural splendour, but it is, in fact, on the edge of the town surrounded by rather dilapidated buildings:

and a fay young man carrying some grapes:

Round the back is a fleet of cars one assumes they use to drive pissed punters between tastings:

Verdict: One cannot help but suspect that someone has too much money.