The new look of La Rioja

LA RIOJA, a breathtaking, mountainous area in northern Spain, produces some of the best wines in Europe. But a part of it -- Rioja Alavesa -- is now producing something else, too: architecture.

Rioja Alavesa is in the country’s Basque region, south of Bilbao, the home of Frank Gehry’s curvaceous stone, glass and titanium Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Gehry’s creation helped drive urban renewal in Bilbao, regenerating the city with innovative architecture. Now, it appears the Bilbao Effect has spread south, and several talented architects have designed modern, beautiful hotels as well as wineries, called bodegas here. An architecture buff, I had gone to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim but found that it just whetted my appetite for more.

My friend Andrew and I set out in August on a winding, picturesque road through mountains and green, grape-covered hills, arriving at Gehry’s creation, commissioned by the winery Vinos Herederos del Marques de Riscal in Elciego. The label’s winery and vineyards are nearby.

Gehry’s facility includes a three-story, 43-room luxury hotel, a restaurant and a spa that offers “vinotherapy,” which uses treatments derived from grapes. The views of the undulating hotel from the surrounding hillsides are spectacular. And when the sun glints off the titanium, particularly its burgundy areas, the structure is mesmerizing.

Within a 15-minute drive of Gehry’s bodega, however, I saw two other impressive projects, all recently completed. And there are several others nearby. They fan out from the hillside town of Laguardia, a beautifully preserved medieval place surrounded by an ancient wall.

Our second stop was to see the work of another world-famous architect: Spaniard Santiago Calatrava, who designed the wing-like Milwaukee Art Museum addition and is now working on the $2-billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City.

I had read that Calatrava designed the nearby Ysios Bodega, which opened in 2001. Heading down a hilly road in Laguardia, we saw it in the distance backed by a jagged line of massive golden mountains.

Wave-shaped cedar walls topped with a series of folded aluminum slats reflect the mountains behind them, almost appearing to move in place. The entry hall, with vertical windows supported by thick wood frames, projects from the building like the beak of a bird.

Because of the spur-of-the-moment nature of our visit, we hadn’t checked the schedule, and the winery was closed for the day; like most others in the area, it offers tours and tastings. But a security guard allowed us to peek inside. The curving roof continued to wave inside, in the form of light-colored cedar beams, and a setting of exposed concrete, metal and glass predominated.

A large vineyard sprawled out from the building, so we took the time to walk around, tasting a grape or two and admiring the old city of Laguardia perched on a hill just above us. All this viewing made us thirsty, so we stopped at a wine bar in Laguardia to enjoy some wine and cheese.

The city, founded in the 12th century, is architecturally stunning. A medieval church rises at one end of the village, and the view from the town of the surrounding area is breathtaking.

To the right is a long stretch of the Sierra Cantabria mountains, which cut through the surrounding clouds. Elsewhere you can see the lush, strikingly green Rioja region and its towns’ church spires.

Laguardia’s winding streets lead to a lovely central square, La Plaza Mayor, which is fronted by a 16th century town hall emblazoned with medieval crests. A few wine bars have outdoor tables set out for guests to try samples of ham, cheese or wine -- the city has 12 bodegas from which to choose, according to the tourist office. The products don’t disappoint, and they can be bought inexpensively. Our plaza-side meal at a wine bar called Cafe Arbulu consisted of a glass each of Rioja wine as well as cheese and Serrano ham. It cost less than $20.

It was getting late, so we began a long trek to Madrid, where our holiday would end. But out on the road, we spotted yet another architectural gem: the Bodegas Baigorri, in Samaniego, just north of Laguardia. The complex was designed by Basque architect Inaki Aspiazu.

The ultramodern facility is topped by an elegant glass box on a pedestal of narrow wood planks, with an overhanging, slightly slanted zinc roof that radiates from the box in all directions. The structure is only the tip of the iceberg. Below a stepped, inclined building, connected by a long, wide ramp and divided into seven different levels, descends about 100 feet. The height of the building, and the architecture within, helps facilitate a winery process that uses gravity, not pumps, to move grapes and wine.

Architecture and tourism

THERE are other architecturally interesting wineries in the region, including Vina Real Bodega, a winery in Laguardia that’s shaped like a giant oak vat.

The building, by French architect Philippe Mazieres, is divided into two parts. The first is a long horizontal concrete barrel storage room, linked to the bottling line and the winery’s underground aging tunnels. The second, which resembles the vat, is a wide, cylindrical vinification center clad with dark stainless steel and red oak.

Nearby in Logrono visitors can find the Bodegas Juan Alcorta. Designed by Ignacio Quemada, the winery is made of horizontal red concrete blocks that mimic the area’s reddish earth.

Side and front entrances are marked with huge cantilevered concrete planes that project dramatically from the surface of the building. Inside, narrow concrete bands protrude from the walls, creating a dynamic yet intimate environment.

Finally, architect Zaha Hadid designed a tasting room at the Bodega Lopez Heredia in nearby Haro. The room features the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s typical use of angular yet sinuous forms. White and burgundy interior walls reach the ceiling at various angles. Benches are made of curving Corian.

Rioja’s burgeoning architectural scene has boosted the region’s tourism -- the same phenomenon seen in Bilbao.

Ines Baigorri, of Bodegas Baigorri, says that the new architecture is primarily meant to produce the best wine possible. But she acknowledges, “The architecture draws attention.” The winery was just awarded the 2006 best of wine tourism honor for architecture (www.greatwinecapitals.com/bestof).

Before the trip, my only wine-region experience was in Tuscany. That region seems frozen in time, which is one of its charms. Rioja Alavesa maintains the same historic allure, but the new architecture makes it more memorable.

To step back in time is an amazing travel experience. To step back in time and look into wild possibilities of the future is even better.

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Cheers

GETTING THERE:

From LAX to Bilbao, connecting service (change of plane) is offered on Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, Lufthansa, British, Virgin Atlantic or American. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $615.

From Bilbao, take Route A-68 to Logrono, then follow signs for Laguardia. It is about an 80-minute drive from Bilbao.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 34 (country code for Spain), 945 (the regional number) and the local number.

WHERE TO STAY:

Villa de Laguardia, 15 Paseo San Raimundo, Laguardia; 60-0560, www.hotelvilladelaguardia.com. Medium-size hotel set among the town’s vineyards. Doubles begin at $175.

Posada Mayor de Migueloa, 20 Mayor de Migueloa, Laguardia; 62-1175, www.mayordemigueloa.com. Originally built as a Baroque palace in 1619, the building was renovated and transformed into an inn in 1992. Excellent restaurant. Doubles begin at $120.

Castillo el Collado, Paseo el Collado, Laguardia; 62-1200, www.euskalnet.net/hotelcollado. Built at the turn of the 20th century in the style of a castle; the owner spent 15 years renovating it. It’s at the edge of the town wall. It features a restaurant. Doubles begin at $149.

Hotel Marques de Riscal, 1 Calle Torrea, Elciego; 18-0880, www.luxurycollection.com. This is a top-quality experience, with spa, pool. Doubles begin at $647.

WHERE TO EAT:

Marixa Campsa, 8 Sancho Abarca, Laguardia; 60-0165, www.hotelmarixa.com. The restaurant sits just outside the main gate of Laguardia and has some of the best views in the town. The menu features traditional Basque and Rioja items. Dinners from about $40.

Cafe Arbulu, 41 Calle Mayor, Laguardia. This wine bar sets up tables in the center of La Plaza Mayor. Wonderful place to get a snack of Serrano ham, a plate full of Spanish cheeses and, of course, a selection of Rioja wines from Laguardia’s wineries. Lunch is about $25.

El Portico, 2 Mayor de Migueloa, Laguardia; 60-0734. This small restaurant is one of the town’s newest. It is also known to serve the area’s best pintxos, the Basque version of tapas. Dinners about $26.

TO LEARN MORE:

Tourist Office of Spain, (323) 658-7188, www.okspain.org.

Local tourism offices: Alava, 16-1598, www.alavatourismo.com; Laguardia, 60-0845, www.laguardia-alava.com; Rioja Wine Route, 29-7004, www.rutadelvinoderiojaalavesa.com.

-- Sam Lubell

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Contemporary trove

Spain, less burdened by the weight of history than many of its European neighbors, is now one of the best places in the world to see contemporary architecture. Besides Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which draws about a million visitors a year to the city, you can visit:

* Bilbao’s twisting white Zubizuri footbridge by Santiago Calatrava. Also in Bilbao: the glowing Cor-Ten steel boxes of the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall by the Spanish firm Soriano and Palacio.

* In Barcelona, visit French architect Jean Nouvel’s Agbar Tower, a radiant new office for the city’s water company that looks like a silver bullet pierced with red, blue and black-tinted glass.

* In Madrid, see Nouvel’s Reina Sofia Museum extension. It has a welcome area inside that includes a cavernous open space that is basically an indoor Spanish plaza.

* In San Sebastian, visit Spanish architect Rafael Moneo’s rhombus-shaped Kursaal Auditorium and Congress Center (los “cubos” de Moneo), which lights up like a lantern at night.

* In Valencia, visit one of Spain’s top tourist attractions -- Calatrava’s City of Arts and Science. The futuristic city within a city was designed to celebrate the arrival of the 21st century and is one of Europe’s most amazing collections of buildings.

-- Sam Lubell