Some 300 wineries make up the DO Ribera del Duero, with more than 24,000 hectares of vineyards in a strip of the Duero river basin, about 115 kilometers long and 35 wide. An area located at the confluence of the provinces of Soria, Burgos, Segovia and Valladolid in which wine was already consumed in the 4th century BC There are many different types: centenary, traditional, modern with the latest technologies, avant-garde ... , each with its own personality that is later reflected in its wines. Most also propose countless activities to make themselves known and attract visitors: tastings, guided tours, picnics, bike tours of the vineyards or participating in the grape harvest are some of the wine tourism experiences available to the public.
Beyond the most important ones, such as Vega Sicilia, Pesquera, Matarromera ..., we propose a tour of some lesser-known wineries that are still jewels in the DO. A varied itinerary in which we discover five very different ones.
Nabal winery
Highway A1, Exit 168. Gumiel de Izán (Burgos).
Nabal wineries.
At a height in the heart of the Nabal Valley, next to the Burgos road, this boutique winery is the recent dream of the Navarro Balbás brothers, a family with a winemaking tradition, who opened almost seven years ago. It is an exclusive winery with an exquisite design that houses few vineyards. Its short production, about 150,000 bottles a year, comes from the grapes of local winegrowers who select bunch by bunch from the best vineyards. Only the best, lovingly handled with state-of-the-art technology (they do not have a hopper), become part of the careful vinification. The advantage of this is that they do not withstand bad vintages or vinify excess wine.
The facilities are modern, impeccable.
The entire winery is underground and one of the most spectacular areas is the barrel room, a tribute to a cathedral, with soaring ceilings and with two rose windows on the main wall with stained glass windows that let in outside light.
The Cathedral of Bodegas Nabal.
The winery has a 25-room charming hotel with rooms decorated in detail and with the best views of the valley (its opening is scheduled for September).
They also have facilities to hold events next to a small plot with vineyards over 80 years old.
For guided visits to Nabal it is necessary to book in advance on the website: www.bodegasnabal.com
Ismael Arroyo-Valsotillo Winery
Los Lagares, 71. Sotillo de la Ribera (Burgos).
Very close to the previous one, 30 km away, this company continues with the inheritance of the grandparents and great-grandparents of the Arroyo family when it comes to making wine in the traditional way. Drivers of the DO Ribera del Duero, their wines, which have been bottled since 1979 (for centuries they produced in bulk), age in a labyrinth of underground galleries from the 17th century under the Cerro de San Jorge. Walking the approximately 400 meters of these tunnels at a depth of 30 meters, where more than a thousand barrels rest, is a claim for visitors to this winery and an experience that involves a trip to the past (yes, at 12 degrees of temperature, already be it summer or winter).
Valsotillo produces about 300,000 bottles annually, of which it exports 60%.
The guided visit to the underground cellar is completed with the tasting of one or two wines in its main dining room, where interesting documents are exposed that demonstrate the origins of viticulture in the area, such as a notebook from 1787, where tithes were recorded ( taxes) that were paid on the wine and that is certified by the parish priest of the town.
It is essential to make an appointment (947 532 309 or bodega@valsotillo.com).
More information at www.valsotillo.com.
Finca Villacreces Winery
Ctra. Soria (N-122), km 322. Quintanilla de Onésimo, (Valladolid).
Villacreces farm.
Called
La Joya Escondida
, Villacreces is located in an idyllic setting in the middle of a bicentennial pine forest on the banks of a meander of the Duero River. 110 hectares of vineyards, adjacent to those of Vega Sicilia, surround the facilities and the beautiful main building of this winery, on whose grounds there was already a retreat center for Franciscan hermits dedicated to reflection, penance and field work in the century XIII. In 1994, Finca Villacreces is registered as a aging winery in the Regulatory Council of the DO Ribera del Duero.
Committed to sustainability in all its processes, Villacreces claims to be an ecological winery.
Its most recognized wine is produced, Pruno, considered the best Spanish wine in history for less than $ 20, according to the prestigious specialist critic Robert Parker.
Vineyards of Finca Villacreces.
In addition to knowing the facilities and how their wines are made, Villacreces offers visitors to discover the farm by electric bike, among other activities.
The 5 km guided tour crosses the historic pine forest with specimens of more than 200 years and part of its 15 plots with different varieties of grapes, some on the banks of the Duero.
The bikes come equipped with a picnic basket for two, including a bottle of Pruno and a selection of gourmet products, to enjoy at the end of the experience, either sitting on the manicured lawn or under a tent next to the vineyards ( price for 2 adults: 60 euros.Available from March 15 to October 15).
Reservations and more information at www.villacreces.com.
Neo wineries
Ctra. N-122, km 274.5. Castrillo de la Vega (Burgos).
Very close to Aranda de Duero is probably the most atypical winery in Ribera del Duero. Founded by three friends 20 years ago, it is a space in which music forms an important part of the facilities. Besides being a winery, Neo is a recording studio, in which well-known bands have produced; it is a museum, in which the photographs of artists such as Sabina, Bunbury, Vetusta Morla, Izal, Rosendo, Luz Casal ... are exhibited, taken by specialist photographer Juan Pérez Fajardo; It is a social space, where lunches and dinners with friends are organized and, the most peculiar thing, the facilities are guarded by a giant Mazinger Z figure (made by a master fallero from Valencia) and over his winery, with some 300 barrels, it flies over a life-size model of the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.
Neo produces more than half a million bottles a year of three brands, with designs related to music (the box of six is a music amplifier), and its wines range from 3 to 16 euros. More information and appointment for the visits at www.bodegasneo.com
Protos
Bodegas Protos, 24-28. Peñafiel (Valladolid)
Protos.
On the verge of turning 100, Protos is not only one of the most important in the DO, but it was the first winery in the area to market its wines under the surname Ribera del Duero. Its privileged location, at the foot of the spectacular Peñafiel castle, is one of its greatest claims. At about 60 meters deep, under the hill where the fortress is located (10th to 15th centuries), the aging cellar has two kilometers of galleries dug into the earth that house more than 3,000 oak barrels. Outside, a visit to its most modern facilities awaits, under the roof of the new winery, inaugurated in 2008 with the latest technological advances for the production of high-end wines. The immense building (20.000 square meters) was designed by the prestigious architecture studio Rogers Stirk Harbor + Partners (led by architectural genius Richard Rogers, 2007 Priztker Prize for Architecture).
The one and a half hour visit includes a tour of the underground galleries of the aging cellar, the new facilities with state-of-the-art technology and a commented tasting at the end (from 15 euros).
It is essential to book online at www.bodegasprotos.com.
Where to sleep
Hotel & SPA Arzuaga
(Ctra. N.122 Aranda-Valladolid, Km 325, Quintanilla de Onésimo. Valladolid). Five-star hotel located in the heart of the Ribera del Duero. The thermal complex and the modern hotel are part of the prestigious Arzuaga wineries. Surrounded by gardens and 65 hectares of vineyards, the establishment has 96 spacious and modern rooms, most with views of the surrounding vineyards and mountains. Guests have access to the experiences offered by the winery, from tastings and guided tours of the winery to excursions around the estate. Price: from 130 with breakfast / night.
Posada La Casona de Valbuena
(Francisco Carrascal, 7-9, Valbuena de Duero, Valladolid).
Four-star establishment in a unique restored 18th century building with impressive wood-beamed ceilings and stone walls.
There is a barbecue area and a cafeteria.
Price: 75 euros.
Where to eat
For those who want to pay tribute,
El Taller Arzuaga
(Bodegas Arzuaga Ctra. N-122 km 325, Quintanilla de Onésimo), a project by the prestigious fashion designer Amaya Arzuaga, presents a gastronomic experience recognized with a Michelin Star, with the signature of the Peruvian chef Víctor Gutiérrez.
Its
Gran Reserva
menu
offers 13 dishes of avant-garde Castilian cuisine based on the products of the land and game from the La Planta estate, the birthplace of Arzuaga wines.
The experience costs 115 euros (150 euros with the pairing of 16 wines) and includes a visit to the winery.
Anchovy niguiri and roasted peppers and purple corn taco with Iberian suckling pig from 'El Taller'
You should not leave the area without trying a wood-fired lamb typical of the local cuisine.
One of the places to taste it is
Casa Florencio
(Isilla, 14; Telephone: 947 50 02 30), a home-made Castilian grill in the historic center of Aranda de Duero.
Other traditional dishes are Burgos black pudding and roasted peppers.
All this washed down with Ribera de Duero wines.
You can see more accommodation, restaurants and wine tourism experiences on the Ribera del Duero Wine Route website, a complete guide that proposes hundreds of plans, in which, in addition, the visitor will have the possibility of discovering the rich historical heritage, artistic and cultural of the municipalities of the Ribera del Duero.
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