Villa Lucía. Centro Temático del Vino

About the museum

Villa Lucía is a gastronomic venue in Laguardia, on the former pleasure estate of the fabulist Samaniego. Within the complex operates the Centro Temático del Vino (Wine Thematic Centre), a museum designed to present the culture of Rioja wine through the five senses. The project was renovated to make it a museum with universal accessibility, and it was the first of its kind to obtain the Equalitas Vitae certification as an inclusive museum. In 2020 it received the Best of Wine Tourism award from the Great Wine Capitals, and it belongs to the Red de Museos Enogastronómicos de Euskadi (Basque network of gastronomy and wine museums).

The route is short and practical. It explains soil types, the parts of the vine, grape varieties, the harvest and winemaking, with educational panels, audiovisual effects and a virtual tasting of aromas, flavours and colours. Along the visit, visitors can touch real objects: vine stocks and canes, harvest tools, a grafting machine, taps, bottles, corks, staves and barrels. All these touch stations are labelled in Braille.

The visit includes a reproduction of a fermentation vat (tino) with its aromas and sounds, a calado (a typical underground cellar of Laguardia's medieval wine houses), models showing life in a winery at the end of the 19th century, and a small cemetery of bottles more than fifty years old. It ends with “En tierra de sueños” (In the Land of Dreams), a 23-minute 4D film with subtitles, a sign language interpreter, audio description and an induction loop, also available in Basque, English, French, German and Russian.

Highlights

• First wine museum with universal accessibility certified by Equalitas Vitae
• Virtual tasting of aromas, flavours and colours
• Touch stations with real objects and Braille labels
• 4D experience “En tierra de sueños” (23 minutes)
• Calado, fermentation vat and models of a 19th-century winery

Permanent exhibitions

• Villa-Lucía con los 5 sentidos – Interactive route through the vineyard, the harvest and the making of Rioja wine, with virtual tastings, touch stations, models and historic objects.
• En tierra de sueños (experiencia 4D) – 23-minute 4D film, accessible to people with disabilities, presenting the heritage and culture of Rioja Alavesa.

Operated by

Villa Lucía Espacio Gastronómico (Lavín Santamaría S. A.)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

Museum certified as inclusive: touch stations and sensory games with Braille labels, high-contrast panels with QR codes and Braille catalogues, easy-read content, an induction loop, a sign-language guide with interpreter and subtitles, a wheelchair available for visitors, and a lift with Braille buttons. A parking space reserved for people with reduced mobility inside the site. The restaurant offers an accessible menu with QR codes in Braille.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The route includes interactive games and touch stations. There is a baby-changing table in the accessible toilet on the ground floor.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the Logroño road, at the entrance to Laguardia (Álava).

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Free wifi throughout the museum. The same complex has a grill restaurant (asador) with a terrace and a gourmet shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit