Rioja Alavesa, architect-designed bodegas

Back in 1560, Laguardia banned heavy carts from its main square to keep the underground wine tunnels from collapsing—cellars that still lace the town beneath its medieval streets. Today, that deep-rooted wine culture meets bold design: Frank Gehry’s rippling titanium at Marqués de Riscal in Elciego, Santiago Calatrava’s wave-like Ysios by Laguardia, and limestone slopes rising to 450–700 m that shape the region’s taut Tempranillo.

Your driver collects you at your Bilbao hotel, then it’s a smooth 1 hr 15 min run on the AP-68 to the first vineyards. The car stays at your disposal—flexible timing, guided visits and tastings while you sit back—before a winemaker’s lunch we secure in advance. Between Laguardia, Elciego, and Samaniego, our private chauffeur in Rioja Alavesa handles 5–20 minute hops, keeps purchases cool, and tweaks the route based on crowd levels and weather.