BASQUE LUXURY FIRM: ROTHSCHILD
BASQUE LUXURY FIRM: ROTHSCHILD
Rioja Alavesa is a region of the Basque Country that I especially like. I have invested in it with my heart and my conviction, whether in the wine industry or the hotel industry.
The creation of Macán took many years; precious and necessary time to make wines that today are amongst the best Spanish vintages. Through effort, patience, and perseverance, I worked with Pablo Álvarez (Vega Sicilia) to highlight a historical land and mark it with so many values dear to my family. Rioja Alavesa, beyond being a magnificent region characterized by its mountains and valleys covered with vineyards, is full of history. There, you can really feel the importance of craftsmanship and respect for local traditions. That is what especially excited me when I discovered the Samaniego Palace, just a few kilometers from the Macán Winery.
A noble building with the coat of arms of the family who had built it engraved on its stone façade and soul of old, single-family homes. I wanted to restore it while preserving its uniqueness. The aim was not to open up at all costs a new Edmond de Rothschild Heritage House, but instead to protect a place that is full of life and located in a beautiful region – and to make that place accessible to the locals. For me, it was a real pleasure to restore this little palace, adding my personal touch here and there with the objects I had acquired on previous trips throughout my life.
The history of my family has always been linked to wine, food, and hospitality. That story continues here, in the Rioja Alavesa region, with the Palacio de Samaniego Hotel, which is the only palace that embodies all of Edmond de Rothschild’s art of living: an intimate hotel overlooking magnificent natural surroundings, with its restaurant skillfully combining the savoir faire of French cooking with succulent Basque ingredients.
Ariane de Rothschild
President of the Edmond de Rothschild Group’s Executive Committee
