Bodegas Ysios
On Gingerguide's self-guided La Rioja Bodegas audio tour, Bodegas Ysios is a stop worth about ~90 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type distillery
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- La Rioja Bodegas La Rioja Bodegas guide
About Bodegas Ysios
Bodegas Ysios (founded 1999, Laguardia) is one of Rioja's most spectacular architectural bodegas, the wave-form building designed by Santiago Calatrava stands against the backdrop of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains and is considered one of the finest examples of contemporary wine architecture in Spain.
Bodegas Ysios was built in 1999-2001 in Laguardia, in the Rioja Alavesa subzone, and designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish architect and engineer best known for his bridges, transit stations and sculptural towers (including the Liège-Guillemins railway station, the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, and the Turning Torso residential tower in Malmö). The building is 196 metres long and 26 metres wide, with an undulating aluminium roof that replicates the profile of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains behind it. The cedar wood facade and aluminium roof are designed to change colour and tone with the light, making the building appear different at different times of day and in different seasons. Inside, the winery produces primarily wines from the Tempranillo grape grown in Rioja Alavesa vineyards, including a range of single-vineyard wines and a premium Finca El Nogal wine. Ysios was acquired by Pernod Ricard's Domecq Bodegas brand in 2001.
Did you know? The Rioja DOCa spans three administrative regions in Spain, La Rioja (the autonomous community), Navarre, and the Basque Country (specifically Álava/Araba province), which makes it one of the very few wine appellations in Spain that crosses regional administrative boundaries. The Rioja Alavesa subzone (in Álava) includes approximately 13,000 hectares of vineyards and is governed jointly by the Rioja DOCa regulatory council and the Basque regional government, leading to occasional administrative tensions.
How much time do you need at Bodegas Ysios?
Around ~90 min works well for Bodegas Ysios — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Bodegas Ysios?
Yes — Bodegas Ysios made the cut as one of 12 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across La Rioja Bodegas. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in La Rioja Bodegas
Hear the story of Bodegas Ysios
Preview the La Rioja Bodegas tour free in the Gingerguide app.