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The vineyards that will be used to create the wines of the Ribera de Duero denomination emerge among the vast areas that cover the Duero river basin. Wine-growing area par excellence whose origin dates back in some points until the Middle Ages. Among the 300 wineries attached to the DO Ribera del Duero there are visits for all tastes, from production spaces that still maintain artisanal creation with a hand-picked and a grape-by-grape selection to companies that bet on the latest technological advances.
There are many names that can be visited, but we propose five wineries with great history and personality located in the vicinity of Roa and Aranda de Duero. Although in these weeks after the harvest the cellars are full of activity, visits can be made throughout the year.
1. Wineries Ismael Arroyo
A trip to the past and the winemaking tradition awaits in the 16th-century cellar of the Arroyo family. It is they who are responsible for entering the visitor through the 1,200 m2 of underground galleries carved into rock. Located in the small town of Sotillo de la Ribera, south of Roa, the Arroyo family has been part of the trade for over 400 years, although they would not market their own wines until 1979 under the name of ValSotillo.
Today they continue to maintain that tradition by storing their Gran Reserva barrels and bottles in this cave open to the public where the cold is forgotten as it descends between centenary barrels, 50's awards and centennial furniture. However, this wine cathedral is known to be known more outside than inside. More than 70% of its production is exported, and hence the majority of the 3,000 tourists they host annually come from outside Spain. But its name must be noted if you travel to this area of the Duero, as it is a reference in the area and they are also one of the few that bets on wines of long aging.
| More information: Visit to the two-hour winery with tasting included from 10 euros. Hours: Monday to Friday: 12.30 and 18.30. Saturdays: 11.00, 12.30, 17.00, 18.30 hours.
2. Vizcarra Wineries
The history of Bodegas Vizcarra is that of a young winemaker who, at the end of his winemaking studies, receives his father's old vines to make his first wines in the garage of his house. He was there 15 years and today his wines are a reference in the field of innovation , which are born in a modern building.
Those who wish to enjoy a wide range of signature wines should stop at this pioneer's house. In addition, it is a family business whose visit has the passion of those who have fulfilled a dream. The tour includes walking through the vineyards that surround the farm on board a 4x4 and enjoying the new facilities where all the processes of elaboration and aging are carried out by gravity.
| More information: Visits must be arranged through the website in advance. Average price: from 8 euros with tasting.
3. Winery Traslascuestas
Ribera de Duero is a place of tradition, but also a commitment to innovation. Bodegas Traslascuestas is one of the best examples, since your company operates with geothermal energy. However, its winery is also worth a visit for its extreme location, more than 800 meters above sea level, where the moor begins to be a dominant landscape and frost threatens late harvests.
After the name of Traslascuestas, the Piérola group, originally from the DO Rioja, hides, so that the wines of this winery born in 2009 have their own personality. The Rioja touch is still present in its long barrel breaks.
To visit the winery you have to pass the town of Valcavado de Roa (located between Pedrosa and Roa) until you reach the modern building built inside the mountain that overlooks a postcard of 360º vineyards. Its two plants operate with geothermal energy, positioning itself as a pioneer winery in its application in the DO Ribera de Duero, allocating the first for the production of a wine with unique flavors and the second to house a charming hotel with 10 rooms and a dining room where you can enjoy with the star dish of the region, the lamb in a wood oven.
| More information: Visits arranged for groups with the possibility of overnight. Hotel night price: 80 euros. Menu price: 40 euros. Visit to the winery and vineyard included.
4. Cillar de Silos Winery
His is a love story for his land. Hidden between fields and pines is Quintana del Pidio, one of those Castilian places plagued by the rural exodus but that maintains the magic thanks to the struggle of some of its premises. The Aragon brothers have been their best example. Its two wineries offer to know the history of this small town traveling to the subsoil and the past.
The two wineries that are part of the family heritage have a treasure under their feet: a centennial beam where the grapes are pressed and then down the stairs to a renovated 16th century cave , 30 meters below the ground.
But if a 400-year-old underground cellar was not enough, the visit includes a second underground stop. Because after more than 10 years of work the brothers have opened a second winery, Dominio del Pidio: a labyrinth of seven abandoned cavas completely restored, maintaining their original style, to form a set of tunnels that converge in a central space.
For his part, Cillar de Silos was born in 1994 by the hand of Amalio and his two children. Its name is a tribute to the winemaking tradition of the region, linked to the clergy. Because the cillero was the monk who was in charge of organizing the pantry, including wine, of the religious of the Monastery of Silos, priory to which Quintana del Pidio belonged. Today Roberto and Óscar, responsible for the business, make a wine exclusively created with the town's vineyards. Under the Dominio del Pidio label, its wine is a careful and pampered author's work that barely produces 3,000 units with old vines over 50 years old.
| More information: Guided visits by reservation on the website or by phone: 947 54 51 26. Includes wine tasting (either the young tempranillo, its reserve reds created with old vines or a white wine that begin to market in 2019) .
5. Lagar de Isilla Winery
In the town of La Vid a perfect point is erected to combine a guided tour of a winery with lodging and gastronomy. Lagar de Isilla, one of the most mythical wineries in the area, has a hotel and restaurant (tasting menu included).
This family's relationship with the wines began in 1995, when they opened a restaurant with a 15th-century cellar in the center of Aranda de Duero, where they produced their first bottles. The increase in demand led them to seek a second space to continue producing, and it is in La Vid, famous for its Monastery and just 20 kilometers from Aranda de Duero, where they erected a modern winery with hotel (21 themed rooms), restaurant and store.
In this space everything is a tribute to the world of wine. The grape leaves decorate the tables of the restaurant, the stained glass windows of the tasting room have been created by the owner from bottles of wine and the rooms are ... unique. Each one is inspired by a phase of the viticultural world (the vine, elaboration and aging ...) or are the reflection of nearby towns (Peñaranda, Aranda de Duero ...) with furniture designed for each theme. There is even a bed located inside a wooden carriage where the vintage was transported.
| More information: Visits to the winery in the morning (11.30 and 13 hours) or in the afternoon (18 hours except Sundays) for a price of 6.50 euros. Lodging price: from 80 euros. All experience packages are available on their website.
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