Fit for Gods: Must-See Decadent Wineries

By VITA Daily

To love wine is not just to love wine. To sip the drips of Dionysus is to literally consume the history, culture, and landscape of the grapes and their proper vintners. So if Greek mythology taught me that immortality is achieved through the surviving works of culture and civilization, I suddenly have a newfound understanding of this cutthroat world of winemaking and its hunger for glory and prestige. Perhaps it is farfetched to grant godly status to a winemaker, but some talented souls have gone above and beyond channeling their inner Gaea and making wine, by crafting wineries that embody the crème de la crème in cuisine, geography, and architecture. Fit for gods, but made for wine lovers, visits to these wineries are must-adds to your bucket list. —Laura Starr

• 1. Bodegas Ysios (Laguardia, Spain)

  By VITA Daily

  A chef-d’oeuvre by architect Santiago Calatrava, this winery will temporarily hijack your soul. Laguardia’s landscape and backdrop alone can bring you to your knees, but this winery’s’ hypnotizing wave of minimalistic modernity captures in perfection the culture, the land, and the wine.

• 2. Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (Vaud, Switzerland)

  By VITA Daily

  800 hectares of terraced vineyards, harboring vines dating back to the 11th Century, overlooking the breathtaking Lavaux valley… oh, and it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Witness centuries of symbiotic perfection between people and land, while sipping some of Switzerland’s Grand Cru wines.

• 3. Castello del Neru (Tuscany, Italy)

  By VITA Daily

  A boutique hotel and spa in Tuscany, this luxury resort sits in the heart of the Chianti wine region, and on several hundred acres of its own Estate vineyard. Decadence is the nature of this getaway (the spa is renowned), and their Michelin Star restaurant, La Torre, boasts a highly decorated wine list.

• 4. Marques de Riscal Winery (Elciego, Spain)

  By VITA Daily

  The owner of Marques de Riscal knows what they want and how to get it. Successfully enticing architect Frank Gehry with a birth-year bottle of wine and the challenge of designing a contemporary winery, a world-class destination was crafted, boasting a Guggenheim-esque masterpiece (also a luxury resort) in the heart of the City of Wine.

• 5. Matetic Vineyards (San Antonio, Chile)

  By VITA Daily

  Visit one of Chile’s first Biodynamic vineyards, a family run establishment with an emphasis on equilibrium between man and land. This state-of-the-art winery was designed by architect Laurence Odfjell, and cultivates some of Chile’s best wines. A destination resort and hotel, a visit here will bring you back to the roots of nature.