39 RIOJA
The smallest mainland territory within Spain, La Rioja is almost wholly eclipsed in the wider world’s eyes by its wine (whose official region actually spills a bit into neighbouring Navarre and the Basque Country). Star architects have pulled out the stops amid the vines: witness Frank Gehry’s hotel at the Marqués de Riscal winery and Santiago Calatrava’s Bodegas Ysios. For a step beyond the tasting room, sign up for one of Rioja Trek’s wine tours, where you can try some typical winemaking tasks and bottle your own wine (from £25; riojatrek.com). The regional capital, Logroño, is best explored on a bar crawl in search of pintxos (Basque-style tapas) – Torrecilla, on buzzing Calle del Laurel, is a stand-out.