There are stories that connect places long before we recognize the connection ourselves, and that is truly the beauty of history, place, craft, and culture. For centuries, Rioja and the Basque Country have shared an intimate relationship—one shaped by geography, trade, agriculture, wine, and perhaps most fundamentally, the earth, which is an integral part of Rioja Holistic Home.
Over a decade ago, my nephew, Michael Fabiano, who is today a world-class tenor, was performing at ABAO, the highly distinguished opera house in Bilbao, Spain, in Basque Country. Three generations of our family traveled to Bilbao to hear him sing. I was seated next to a Bilbaíno, a man from Bilbao, who noticed that I was speaking both English and Castilian Spanish. Curious, he asked how we had all come to the opera. When I explained my professional connection to Rioja wine, he responded with a Bilbao saying: “If there is no Rioja, there is no wine”. (“Si no hay Rioja no hay vino”). The words are imprinted in my active brain. I still remember the kind and convincing look on his face. Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was the history, or perhaps it was simply the recognition that these two regions have always been more connected than a map might suggest.
Long before the great steelworks of Bilbao, northern Spain was known for its rich deposits of iron ore. The mineral deposits of Vizcaya, particularly in the Triano mountains west of Bilbao, were exceptionally important. As far back as 200 BC, during the Roman conquest, they referred to the Triano mountains as the “Great Iron Mountain of North Iberia”. The ore was close to the surface, hence, more easily accessible, and the proximity of the mines to the Nervión estuary eventually made the region extraordinarily well positioned for mining, manufacturing, and trade. As early as the 10th century, records indicate that iron ore from the Triano and Somorrostro area of Vizcaya was being transported to La Rioja by pack animals. Hence, iron traveled from the mountains of northern Biscay into Rioja centuries before modern roads, railways, or industrial steel mills existed. In these medieval times, often tools would be traded for wine skins.
Rioja has always been primarily an agricultural region, where the crops of greatest economic importance have oscillated over the centuries, but grape growing has always been primary. Challenging soils required tools to work the land, and sometimes even custom tools. Basque merchants would travel to Rioja to a weekly market in Haro, where they would sell or trade fish and iron tools. Likewise, local blacksmiths and their workshops became part of village life. Additionally, local barrel production also necessitated the iron bands to bind the barrel staves. To this day, select wineries still maintain in-house coopers for barrel production or barrel repair. Bodegas Muga has a wonderful cooperage workroom inside their beautiful winery, also located in Haro.
The Basque ironmaking tradition supplied agricultural communities with implements that could withstand demanding work. Over generations, iron became part of the practical language of rural life: tools for the vineyard, the farm, the kitchen, and the home.
Today, the modern conscious home invites us to look at our surroundings differently—to embrace natural elements not only for their beauty, but for the sense of connection, warmth, and well-being they can bring into our everyday lives. Our research and class work have only strengthened our belief in the importance of incorporating natural materials and creative design into the home, hotel, or spa space for health, environmental, and aesthetic reasons.
Creating a conscious home can also be an adventurous and delightful personal journey. The old rules of decorating are evolving. Wood tones once considered too different to combine can now be layered together. Antique and vintage pieces can sit beautifully alongside contemporary furnishings. A treasured find from a market, a special inherited object, a piece of wall art, or a beautifully woven textile can introduce character and create unexpected connections and ingenuity within a room.
These combinations allow a home to evolve over time like a fine wine, rather than feeling overly matched or shiny. Space that feels collected rather than decorated, personal rather than prescribed, one that brings together different eras, materials, places, and stories—and in doing so, creates something that feels uniquely one's own. A conscious home can be beautiful, sophisticated, and luxurious while remaining connected to nature, craftsmanship, heritage, and creativity. This also does not always require an extravagant budget; rather, it relies on the thoughtful elements mentioned above. This philosophy is integral to every Rioja Holistic Home selection.
Our vintage fork is a perfect example. Its forged craftsmanship, age, and distinctive character give it a presence that a newly manufactured object simply cannot replicate. Rather than asking where it “belongs,” we see it as an opportunity to bring an unexpected layer of history and personality to a contemporary table.
Ana Fabiano
Founder, Rioja Holistic Home
Author, The Wine Region of Rioja