Basque-Country-Special-Feature-as-published-in-The-Guardian-09-10-14

22 _BASQUE COUNTRY BASQUE COUNTRY_231. MARQUES DE RISCALThe Frank Gehry-designedMarques de Riscal hotel,opened in 2006 as partof the company’s City ofWine project, stands inbold contrast with the traditionalvillage of Elciego,itself a major centre forwine production since the16th century.2. YSIOSAt Ysios winery, Spanisharchitect SantiagoCalatrava made one ofhis trademark artisticstatements with a ripplingaluminium roof above along wood-clad structureevoking a row of barrels.Ysios is one of the RiojaAlavesa’s most innovativeproducers, focusingentirely on reserve wines.3. LUIS CANASBodegas Luis Canas produceshigh-quality redsand whites at its Villabuenade Alava winery.Star chefs such as theUK’s Gordon Ramsay andCatalonia’s Ferran Adriahave placed their faithin this family company’sproducts, includingAmaren, created as atribute to the chairman’slate mother.2 31133Raising the Basque Country’s wine-making profileWriter: James BadcockWINERIES The Basque Country’s segment of the Rioja wine region is taking viticulture to a new levelwith a strong focus on innovation while carefully maintaining the vineyard traditions that brought itits fame in the first placeRioja is known to wine lovers all over theworld as a place of old vineyards producingrich, warm reds. Now, especially in the Basqueportion of the territory, it is witnessing apioneering quest to create new wines usinga blend of modern technology and timewornskills, as well as seeking different ways tobring viticulture closer to people and breathingfresh life into a tradition that stretchesback thousands of years.Rioja as a designation-of-origin wine areastraddles three Spanish regions: La Rioja, Navarreand the Basque Country, with the latterpart being known as Rioja Alavesa after thesouthernmost Basque province of Alava. TheMarques de Riscal winery is Rioja’s oldest and,as its chairman Alejandro Aznar explains, thefirm is responsible for the development ofthe region as a world-renowned producer ofexcellence. “The Marquis of Riscal, who wasexiled in Bordeaux, learned the techniquesof ageing wine that he brought back to hisvineyards, transforming wines from Riojainto a modern concept: aged, French-stylewine in the 19th century.”Anxious to lead the way into the 21st century,Aznar’s firm reacted to the stunningsuccess of the Frank Gehry-designedGuggenheim Bilbao art museum by askingthe Canadian-American architect to workon a project. The aim would be to involvevisitors in a celebration of Rioja winemakingtechniques, the Alava landscape and vineyards,great Basque cuisine and, of course,the wine itself. “When we saw what was goingon in the New World and how they presentedviticulture to the public, we knew we neededto move from the 19th to the 21st century,”says Aznar. “We needed to start from zero.The Guggenheim put Bilbao on the map.Why not try to bring Riscal to the wholeworld through architecture too?”The spectacular ribbon-roofed City of Winehotel was opened in 2006 and offers gueststhe opportunity to breathe in the still air inMarques de Riscal’s old cellars, combine localwine with Michelin-starred cuisine at the restaurant,and even enjoy beauty and anti-stresstreatments based on the natural propertiesof the grape and wine in a vinotherapy spa.The Ysios winery, where Luis Zudaire iscommitted to a range of research activities,including the development of experimentalblends and investigating different oakvarieties for barrels, also took the plungeinto modern architecture. Its bold designby world-famous architect Santiago Calatravaevokes a row of barrels under a wavyaluminium roof.This emergence of modern aestheticsamidst ancient vineyards and beautifulhilltop villages such as Laguardia createsan attractive environment that the region’sbusiness community is eager to exploit. GregorioRojo, chairman of the Alava Chamberof Commerce and Industry, recognises thata “world-class tourism experience” is beingcreated in the Rioja Alavesa, a patrimonywhich the Basque Country government hasrecently awarded protected status.For his part, Juan Luis Canas, the chairmanof Bodegas Luis Canas, accepts thatinnovative techniques are important, butargues that it is even more vital to pamperthe vines that are the basis of his winery’sinternationally renowned reserves.“What really distinguishes us is our faithin the vineyard rather than in the winery.VIEWPOINTThat is to say, we believe more in the grapeitself than in the process that comes afterit,” Canas says, adding that no herbicidesor synthetic fertilisers are used in his vineyards.Bodegas Luis Canas’ standout productis Hiru Tres Racimos, a wine madewith grapes from vines which are at least60 years old. “We look for vines with as fewas one, two or three grape clusters. Thiscreates a wine for connoisseurs,” says thewinery chief, who also acknowledges theimportance of tie-ups with top chefs suchas Ferran Adria.A world-class tourismexperience is beingcreated in the RiojaAlavesaGregorio RojoChairman of the Alava Chamber of Commerceand IndustryJuan Luis CañasChairman of BodegaLuis CañasWhat is your best-selling wine?Our Crianza red. Combining allof our brands, we sell aroundtwo million bottles a year.What countries have the biggestgrowth potential for you?We export to around 40 countriesbut I would say Germanyand Britain.Do you have plans to boostonline sales?No, we are very respectful ofour 58 or so distributors. Theyare the ones who do all thefield work, and we don’t wantto bypass them. We establishmonthly quotas. If we didn’t,an entire year’s productionmight be consumed by August.Where do you see this companyin the next four tofive years?My goal is not to sell more,but to work better so clientswill be even happier. Wedon’t have a business partnerpressuring us into obtaininggreater cash flow. We’re notambitious that way.“What distinguishesus isour faith in thevineyard ratherthan the winery”Alejandro AznarChairman of Marquesde RiscalWhat is your current productionvolume?One million cases, of which fivemillion bottles are from Rueda,where they make white wine.Seven million are Rioja.How well does Spanish wine doon the export market?Because of the crisis, all Spanishproducers are focusing on exports,although they’re doing it the wrongway and focusing on prices. I thinkthat Spain’s strong point is itsprice-quality relationship.What relationship do you havewith the UK?It’s the biggest market for Riojawine. But there’s a lot of competition;people buy wine cheaplyand there are wines from all overthe world, which means tightprice margins.