PERMANENT EXHIBITION
Inaugurated in 2004 by H.R.M. King Juan Carlos I, the Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine is the main exponent of the the work of Vivanco Foundation. It is a large, modern, functional space which houses the collections that the family has acquired over many years: As an outreach centre, the Museum is an enterprising and ambitious initiative, which has become an international reference on wine, its history, winemaking techniques, wine research and all the cultural and artistic manifestations that revolve around it.
HALL 1
BEING BORN, GROWING, MATURING
Through this room, we will discover the cultural significance of wine from its origins more than 8,000 years ago.
In this large room, divided into small modules, you will discover the origins of wine, the types of soil most characteristic of each region of the world for vine growing, the origin and development of Rioja, what phylloxera is, how work in the vineyard is carried out, etc. A wide ethnographic and technological collection related to the vine and wine that is sure to surprise you.
The Origin of Wine
The origin of wine is closely linked to the process of human settlement. From its beginnings, wine has been associated with religious celebrations and with the gods of intoxication, joy, music, etc.
In the Middle Ages, wine became closely associated with Christianity due to its symbolic equivalence to the blood of Christ.
Land of Lands
It is easy to assume that the first wine arose from the accidental fermentation of wild vine berries. The importance this drink gained led humans to cultivate the plant to ensure a steady supply of fruit. This occurred around 6000 B.C. in the Transcaucasian region. From there, it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and surrounding regions.
After learning about the origins of wine, we will discover the types of soil in which the vine can develop under the necessary conditions to later produce quality wines. The choice of the most suitable variety for each plot is determined by the different soils, climate, topography, rainfall patterns, and so on.
You will be able to see the types of soil in which vines are grown around the world.
Rioja: A Millenary Tradition
Although the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture was created with the aim of sharing the Culture of Wine with everyone, given the evident connection of the Vivanco family with La Rioja, a small space in this room was reserved to explain the evolution of our land.
Indeed, since ancient times, winemaking in La Rioja has represented much more than an economic activity: it is a symbol of cultural identity.
Although wine arrived in Rioja with the Romans, the real turning point occurred in the second half of the 19th century. Some French merchants came to La Rioja in search of wine, due to the shortage in their own country caused by diseases that devastated their vineyards. They brought business acumen, but above all, their winemaking techniques (the most advanced at the time), which survived after the passage of phylloxera through the region.
A milestone in the history of Rioja was the creation of the Rioja Wine Regulatory Council in 1926. From its inception to the present day, it has been responsible for ensuring the origin and quality of our wines.
In addition to historical photos of our land, you will discover the native grape varieties used in the wines of the denomination: Viura, Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo, Maturana Tinta.
Vine Cultivation
The process of enjoying a good wine begins in the vineyard. The work of the viticulturist is as important as that of the winemaker.
In our collection, you can see how the traditional vine cultivation system and the tools used (pruning instruments, plows, hoes, etc.) have remained almost unchanged for millennia. With just a few tools, the essential tasks of the year were carried out: pruning in autumn, soil aeration and fertilization in winter, weeding in summer, and harvesting at the end of the cycle, etc.
In the room, you can see tools used throughout history, both manual and mechanical.
You can also watch one of our main videos, displayed on three screens and filmed with cinematic techniques, in which an 8-minute journey allows you to appreciate all the work carried out in the vineyards over a full year.
With the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and the arrival of new inventions—iron tools, tractors, sprayers, grafting machines, etc.—the gradual mechanization of the fields became evident, a process that continues today alongside a concern for using cultivation systems that respect environmental conservation.
The Threats to the Vine
In caring for the vineyard throughout the year, special attention must be paid to the possible diseases that can affect the vines. Among them, phylloxera stands out, which consists of the presence of an aphid that attacks the roots of the plant until it dries out.
Today it is no longer a problem, as the solution was found by grafting European varieties onto American Vitis rootstocks, which are immune to phylloxera. Nowadays, virtually all vines in the world are grafted, but in the past it was a plague that devastated a large part of European vineyards and one of the reasons why the French arrived in Rioja.
Pierre Marie Alexis Millardet was the one who discovered the remedy for this plague. In our Museum, you can see the commemorative plaque that was presented to him in recognition of this valuable discovery.
The Harvest: The Fruit of the Work
Towards the end of summer or the beginning of autumn, depending on the ripeness of the grapes, it is time to harvest the fruit.
The harvest has changed very little until quite recent times. Today, the optimal moment of grape ripeness is much more closely monitored, and efforts are made to transport the harvest more quickly, since delays can cause excessive berry breakage and there is a risk that fermentation may begin during transport, which would reduce the quality of the wines.
In this space, you will discover the tools that have been used for years in harvesting work, as well as a collection of historical photographs showing entire families harvesting their own vineyards.
Winemaking
A similar evolution can be seen in winemaking. There were hardly any changes from ancient times until the 19th century, and it was once again industrialization and research that revolutionized oenology. New machinery took its place in the winery: crushers, destemmers, cast-iron presses, and many others allowed more kilograms of grapes to be processed under better conditions.
Here you can also see the machinery that was used in the past, along with panels showing Egyptian, Roman, Greek, and contemporary presses, illustrating how humans progressively modified and improved these tools.
From Must to Wine
In this space, we can once again enjoy a modern audiovisual presentation where we can understand what happens inside a fermentation vat, from the moment the grapes arrive at the winery until the racking of the fermented must or wine. Some of the footage was filmed inside a vat.
They therefore show shots of great interest due to the difficulty of capturing the different stages of the winemaking process. You can even hear the real sound produced during fermentation.
The Laboratory
From a scientific point of view, figures such as Louis Pasteur were essential in introducing sanitary control in winemaking. They turned the laboratory into a trusted ally for the winemaker, to anticipate the evolution of the wine and address any problems that might arise. You will discover microscopes, ebulliometers, densimeters, alcoholmeters, and other instruments used to determine the alcohol content, density, or acidity of the wine, all integrated into the winery environment.
HALL 2
PRESERVING THE ESSENCES
The video you can see is a fragment of the one shown at the Museum of Wine Culture.
In the second room of the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, you can see how, over the centuries, the concern for preserving and transporting wine under the best conditions has evolved. After a long process, the oak barrel and the glass bottle with a cork stopper became established as the most suitable containers.
This room is divided into three sections: barrels, bottles, and corks.
You can see the work of coopers, glassmakers, and cork artisans. Here, the tools used by these masters are displayed, and through the videos in the room, you can see how they use them. In this way, coopers, glassmakers, and cork artisans became trusted allies of the winemaker.
The evolution of the bottle is also on display, summarizing the transformation of this container from Roman times to the early 20th century, reviewing the different materials used: ceramic, leather, glass, etc.
Barrels
In the first video, you can see the artisanal process required to make a barrel; a brief excerpt is shown in the upper frame.
In this audiovisual, you can see a meticulous process that results in a watertight container, perfectly fitted without the need for glue or nails. This space details step by step this artisanal work, which begins with the selection of the wood, its shaping and transformation, and ends with the creation of the desired container.
This illustrative audiovisual received the First Prize at the Enovideo Festival held in Paris in September 2005.
Bottles
Next, we can watch another video showing how bottle manufacturing evolved from artisanal work to industrial production. In the past, bottles were made using the free-blowing method, which requires refined technique, knowledge of glassmaking, and above all, skill. After seeing a glassmaker manually craft a bottle, we then see the modern method, where production is vastly larger and faster.
Cork
And associated with the bottle is the cork. Here, we compare the artisanal method of making stoppers, which disappeared in the first third of the 20th century, with the final mechanization of this industry. We will also see the different materials used to make corks today.
SALA 3
THE WINERY, THE DREAM
Not everything in the winery is aging and resting. In this space, the various tasks carried out within the winery are explained: from racking the wine from the fermentation and maceration tanks to its release on the market.
Centuries-Old Tasks
In the first part of this space, the continuous cycle of rest and activity is explained: racking, fining, filtering, etc. Additionally, the various materials used for these tasks are displayed: pumps, filters, taps, and so on.
Character, Color, and Aroma
In this same room, there is a space where you can experience the sensations of a wine tasting. Through a photographic panel, you can observe the color differences between young wines and those aged in barrels (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva), for red, white, and rosé wines alike.
But we will not only distinguish the color; we will also discover and experience some of the different aromas that wine can have: licorice, roses, leather, violet, honey, etc. A fun and practical way to learn. Additionally, you will find an interactive display where you can explore which aromas are associated with different types of wine.
The Journey of Wine
Finally, in this room, we can also see the evolution of wine marketing and transportation. Amphorae, skins, barrels, carts, and references to major means of transport such as ships and trains can be seen in this part of the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture. Wine marketing evolved over time. Scales and measures were used to control the capacity of containers, and viticultural techniques were improved to produce wines that could withstand transoceanic journeys without problems.
As seen in Room 2, the bottle gradually became the main container for both wine preservation and transportation. However, vessels such as wineskins and goatskins, which once had a significant presence, still exist today only as a testimony.
Also on display are items specifically related to wine marketing: balance scales for selling wine by weight, various sets of measuring vessels with official stamps, seals issued by authorities to prevent fraud, and large demijohns and pitchers for bulk sales.
Historical Presses
In the central area of the room, you can see the different types of presses that have been used over the centuries, which connect with those displayed in the first section of the exhibition.
HALL 4
WINE, ART, AND SYMBOL
Up to this point, we have explored the history of winemaking. From this moment on, we encounter the collections that show the mark of wine in human creations.
The art and archaeology collection is undoubtedly the museum’s most unique offering. It is rare to find a collection that encompasses such a wide range of works from various periods and techniques, all sharing the common denominator of being linked to wine. Together, these works speak of the symbolic value that the vine and wine have held for humanity, especially within Mediterranean culture.
Wine has been associated with religious phenomena in the Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and Judeo-Christian worlds. Here, we can find references to Hathor, representations of Dionysus-Bacchus, and exquisitely crafted Eucharistic chalices.
This space also features artistic works of different natures that show how profoundly the vine and wine have inspired artists. Examples span from Antiquity to contemporary art.
Among the most represented motifs are scenes of the grape harvest and the enjoyment of wine, often combined with a secularized view of classical mythology—for example, the beautiful ivory-carved bacchanals.
To conclude this room, we can admire marvelous works by Spanish, Flemish, Italian, and French artists, such as the Renaissance painter Jan van Scorel, Pablo Picasso, Sorolla, Joan Miró, Juan Gris, and original Walt Disney illustrations. This art collection is remarkable for the close connection that these world-renowned artists have had, in different ways, with wine.
HALL 5
OPEN, POUR, AND DRINK
The wine is here, and it’s time to enjoy it. But how do you open the bottle without a corkscrew?
Here is displayed the corkscrew collection of the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, with nearly 3,500 pieces on exhibit, showcasing the evolution and diversity of this seemingly simple tool.
The collection is divided into categories, such as pocket corkscrews, figurative designs, bar corkscrews, contemporary designs, multifunction corkscrews, religious, lever-type, erotic, and more.
The earliest models date back to the late 18th century, when the use of glass bottles with cork stoppers for wine distribution became widespread. Many mechanisms were invented to extract the cork, and numerous patents were also created to register these inventions and prevent copies.
They mostly come from countries that consume high-quality bottled wine: Great Britain, France, the United States, the Nordic countries, etc. They often reflect national peculiarities, such as the preference for certain materials: brass for the English, silver for the French, or horn for Americans. Once the bottle has been opened, it’s time to serve the wine for tasting. The collection includes serving items from classical antiquity to the early 20th century. Metal, ceramic, and glass have been used to make cups, goblets, jugs, decanters, porrons, and more. The utilitarian nature of these objects does not preclude their exceptional artistic quality, reflecting the care and refinement required by the ritual of serving and tasting wine as a drink for gods and humans, a divine offering, and nourishment for the body.
