Bienvenidos To The Beauty Of Rioja, Spain!

Arrive at Palacio Tondón, your Autograph Collection boutique hideaway perched above the Ebro River, and step straight into Rioja life. We’ll begin with a refined welcome reception hosted by Mindi and Eric, where you’ll meet your fellow Adventurers and toast the week ahead with beautiful Spanish wines. As evening settles in, we’ll wander the narrow stone lanes of Briñas, taking in the quiet church bells, old façades, and river views, before returning “home” for a relaxed first dinner at Gran Reserva Restaurant. It’s intimate, local, and unhurried—the perfect soft landing before an unforgettable week.

Heritage Cellars, Lively Lunch & Architectural Grandeur

Today is classic Rioja at its finest. We’ll start at Bodegas Muga, where towering stacks of barrels, traditional coopering, and long, cathedral-like cellars show you why this house is a benchmark for the region. Lunch is at La Vieja Bodega, a beloved local favorite where the energy is high, the rooms are warm and inviting, and plates of seasonal Riojan dishes and grilled meats seem to just keep arriving. At night, we cross into a different kind of legend: Marqués de Riscal, where Frank Gehry’s shimmering architecture rises above the vines. Here, you’ll savor a Michelin-starred dinner at Restaurante Marqués de Riscal, paired with a private performance in one of the most architecturally dramatic wine settings in the world.

Modern Masterpiece Architecture, Valley Vistas & Firelit Cellars

The morning is devoted to Ysios, a winery that looks like a sculpture dropped into the vineyards—sleek lines, sweeping roof, and vistas that stretch to the Cantabrian mountains, all framing a focused, private tasting. Lunch follows at Huerta Vieja, a favorite for its terrace views over the valley behind Laguardia and its generous, deeply comforting Rioja cooking. After a little time to catch your breath, evening takes you to Solar de Samaniego, where dinner unfolds by a glowing hearth and then moves into a massive wine hall. The scale, the stone, the tanks, the music—it’s a night that feels like it might be a dream.

Contemporary Art, Michelin Lunch & Palace Dining

We trade vines for city energy as we head to Bilbao, where the titanium curves of the Guggenheim and its bold contemporary art collections set the stage for a morning of pure visual stimulation. Lunch is at Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao, the museum’s own Michelin-starred restaurant, where chef-driven tasting menus turn seasonal Basque ingredients into modern, artful plates that feel perfectly in sync with the building around you. We then return to Rioja for a brief reset at the hotel, maybe even a cocktail, then back up to the walled hilltop village of Laguardia for dinner at Mayor de Migueloa—a historic palace turned restaurant where stone walls, intimate rooms, and beautifully prepared dishes give the evening a softly lit, old-world glow.

Leisurely Village Day, Grand Tasting & Glass-Box Finale

The morning. lunch and early afternoon are yours. We provide shuttles to and from the walled hilltop village of Laguardia, where you can explore ancient tunnels, drop into tiny wine bars, linger over a casual lunch, shop for local specialties and get lost in its medieval streets at your own pace. Late afternoon, we regroup for a private tasting at Remírez de Ganuza, one of Rioja’s most prestigious and meticulous producers. Then it’s back to the hotel to dress for the grand finale: a Champagne and cocktail reception with Eric, followed by an unforgettable night at Bodega Baigorri. You’ll watch Mindi’s final show from a dramatic glass-walled cube suspended above the winery, with the patchwork vineyards of Rioja spread out below. After the concert, we descend six floors into the historic cellars for an intimate dinner and tasting—a true last chapter in the story of Rioja.

Hasta La Próxima… Until Our Next Adventure

Goodbyes are never easy…

On our final morning together, we gather one last time at Palacio Tondón for an intimate mimosa farewell—easy conversation, shared photos, and a final toast to a week of wine, music, and new friendships in Rioja. For some, this marks the close of the journey; for a fortunate few, it’s just the beginning of the next chapter.

…what Adventure are we on to next?