Spain Wine Regions

01/06/2017
Food and Wine

Being the third wine producer in the world, Spain is a must-visit destination for wine lovers. There are wine regions sprinkled all around the country, each of them with its own special features.
Here is a list of some of the most emblematic and renowned wine regions that shouldn’t be missed:

Penedes Wine Region

Despite being a great wine producer, this area is famous and stands out because of “cava” production. Here is where the counterpart of the French champagne is produced. It is located less than an hour from Barcelona. So, it is perfectly doable on a day trip. However, there are also excellent hotels to spend some nights, such as Cava & Hotel Mastinell, Can Bonastre, Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa…

Penedes is one of the most exciting wine regions in our country, where apart from visiting family-run wineries, some of them former castles, or the big emblematic wineries, it is possible to explore the most fascinating Art Nouveau architecture by some of the most renowned architects such as Gauci, Puig i Cadafalch and Domenech i Montaner.

Somontano Wine Region

Probably one of the most unknown wine regions, but the original place for Garnacha variety. Their winemaking know-how for this variety as well as its great location right at the feet of the Pyrenees on the way from Madrid to Barcelona, makes it one of the ideal wine destinations. Here, the traveler can travel back in time by sleeping in a boutique hotel with just a few rooms such as Hotel Boutique Casa Alodia in a Medieval village located in a superb natural surrounding.

Here, wine lovers and experts can talk face to face to the winemakers and owners of the wineries. So, the approach couldn’t be closer. It has wineries ranging from the local traditional ones to the second most modern winery in the world.

Txacoli Wine Region

The perfect getaway from Bilbao or San Sebastian. You can visit the charming fishing villages and the awesome landscape of the Basque Coast, where mountains merge with the sea, and where this unique local grape and wine is produced. Traditional small wineries facing the brave Cantabrian sea…the green of the mountains and the blue of the sea make the perfect wine in this area.

Rioja Wine Region

The biggest wine region in Spain and one of the most renowned worldwide. This is, without any doubt, the mecca for wine lovers and experts. Centuries and centuries of winemaking have shaped this region, its people, its villages…Some of them still preserve the ancient cellars, some of them even the antique winemaking processes, some of them are simply cathedrals and museums of wine.

It is doable as a day trip from San Sebastian, but if you really want to deep inside this wine region, there are great accommodation options such as the modernity of Marques de Riscal and Viura, or the authenticity of Hospedería de los Parajes or Señorío de Briñas…

Ribeira Sacra Wine Region

One of the most incredible and untouched wine regions. It is a region marked by the River Miño and River Sil, which have shaped its spectacular landscape as they wind their way through the mountains. Wine here is shown as steeply terraced vineyards that run down the hillsides and small wineries where you will be able to taste the most delicious local wine. The combination of wine with the faith and spirituality that can be still felt in the numerous monasteries dotted throughout the area (the largest concentration of Romanesque churches and monasteries in Europe), makes this corner of Galicia the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination to appeal to all our senses. The historical Paradores are here a great choice to stay: Parador de Santo Estevo and Parador de Monforte de Lemos.

Ribera del Duero Wine Region

Not far from Madrid, this is one of the wine regions with the greatest cultural and culinary offer. More than a hundred villages and 115 kms of a vast wine tradition thanks to its climate, soils and know-how. Monasteries, bridges, palaces, castles, cathedrals, churches…are the icing on the cake for a complete visit to this wine paradise. Unforgettable stays in this region offered by Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine, Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena, Hotel Spa Arzuaga…

Sherry Wine Region

This is the most renowned wine region in the south of Spain: different soil, special climate and unique wine. Just a few miles from Seville, this is the perfect Andalusian countryside immersion to taste the local flavour around centenary barrels and vast extension of vineyards with our southern passionate guides experts in wine. There are great hotels to sleep in the region, such as Villa Jerez or Casa Viña de Alcántara.

Apart from our top-notched drivers and guides, what will make your visit really special is our varied range of experiences:

Balloon-ride over the vineyards
Go hands on harvesting and winemaking
Biking tour around the vineyards
4×4 tour around the vineyards
Picnic lunch in the vineyards
Wine tasting and wine pairing with wine experts
Wine therapy

Wine tours and experiences are available the whole year round. However, September is the harvesting season and the time when the scent of grapes is everywhere and when work at wineries is at its peak.

Furthermore, lots of wine festivals are celebrated during the harvest month. So, an absolutely local immersion is guaranteed!

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