Marqués de Riscal Announces Limited-Edition Frank Gehry Wine

The renowned architect designed the Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a stunning 43-room luxury property in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region in Spain, which opened in 2006. The release of the wine, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the hotel, was celebrated in an event on June 21 at the new home of Frank Gehry in Santa Monica, CA.

The Frank Gehry Reserve Selection 2012 Vintage was crafted exclusively of tempranillo grapes grown on vines more than 80 years old and carefully tended during the summer months. Grapes for the vintage were handpicked on the manual selection tables of the winery, located in the Basque country of northern Spain. Marques de Riscal will release only 5,000 bottles of the Frank Gehry Reserve Selection 2012 Vintage, which feature a signed sketch by Gehry of the Hotel Marqués de Riscal.

The friendship between Marqués de Riscal and Gehry has resulted in two vintages bearing the architect's name. In addition to the Frank Gehry Reserve Selection 2012 Vintage, the winery celebrated the hotel opening with the Frank Gehry Reserve Selection 2001.

“Frank Gehry is a visionary who has graced our winery with a building that beautifully captures the essence of Marqués de Riscal and its rich history,” said Alejandro Aznar, President of Marqués de Riscal. “As a maker of classic wines with a modern approach, we feel very close to Frank, who roots his brilliant innovations so deeply in humane values. With great pleasure, we raise a glass to a man we are honored to call our friend, as we toast him with his own special vintage.”

“The more you see of the process, the more you understand there's a real artistry to winemaking. Getting to know the artists at Marqués de Riscal and spending time in their beautiful vineyard has been a great pleasure," said Frank Gehry."I'm so honored and delighted that the company has commemorated our friendship with this special vintage."

José Luis Muguiro, Co-owner and General Sales Manager of Marqués de Riscal, said, “The ties of warmth and mutual respect that have developed between the people of our winery and Frank Gehry are a testament to the collaborative spirit that this great architect brings to everything he does. We share with him the conviction that the search for greatness, whether in making a wine or a building, can be a life-affirming process that deepens the relationships among people and brings out the best in them. We take great pride in joining Frank to make the debut of this special reserve vintage both a tribute to him and a benefit to the children he helps to educate and inspire.”

As part of the celebration launching the new wine at Gehry's new home, impressive large-format bottles were created by Marqués de Riscal for an auction to benefit Turnaround Arts: California. Frank Gehry is a principal supporter of the education initiative, which is a branch of the national Turnaround Arts program–a public-private partnership established in 2012 by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Turnaround Arts: California partners with 16 schools throughout the state, helping high-need schools to help close the achievement gap and provide equitable access to arts and music education.

The Hotel Marqués de Riscal, the first hotel designed and built by the Pritzker-Prize winning architect, is located in The City of Wine–which, in addition to the hotel, includes a spa, Michelin-starred dining destination, wine education center and museum facilities. The City of Wine serves as the winery's visitor center and has become a popular destination for travelers from around the world. The hotel's design features columns that lift the structure, providing breathtaking views of the vineyards and the surrounding town and region. The exterior of the hotel consists of a series of rectilinear sandstone forms and curvilinear panels made of stainless steel and gold and pale pink titanium. The winery is less than 75 miles from the Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, whose renowned curvilinear titanium forms find an echo in the Hotel.

Visit website: www.marquesderiscal.com/