Spanish Vineyards: Insider’s Guide to the Best Wine Tours
June 1, 2023
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There is a quote by Ernest Hemingway that floats around the web that says: “My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink more wine.”
I think the same applies to anyone who comes to Spain and doesn’t visit a Spanish vineyard. You will regret not living a wine-immersive experience that will revolutionize your palate.
As you know, Spain is one of the countries around the world-famous for its excellent wine. Alongside France, Italy, and Portugal, Spain has four vineyards between the top 50 and 1 vineyard in the top 100 of the World’s Best Vineyards 2022 list.
The most famous wine regions in the country are La Rioja and La Ribera del Duero, but in this article, I will highlight other superb vineyards outside of that area that have also made it to the world’s best.
If you plan to visit Spain, spot the vineyards closest to your destination, and don’t miss the opportunity to taste extraordinary wine.
I will let you into a little secret, even the €5 bottle at any supermarket offers good flavors!
Table of Contents ▼ ▶
Vineyards in La Rioja
1. Vineyard Marqués de Riscal
📍Location: Elciego (Basque Country), La Rioja Alavesa
🗓️Foundation: 1858
ℹ️ Webiste: Herederos del Marqués de Riscal
🔖 Book your visit: Tickets to the vineyard
Let’s start our wine tour with the vineyards Marqués de Riscal, awarded as the second World’s Best Vineyard in 2022.
If you stay in Bilbao, Logroño, or Pamplona, you will be less than an hour away from the vineyards. And, if you are staying in Madrid, you will be three hours away by car but don’t worry because you could even spend a weekend in these vineyards.
Marqués de Riscal was founded in 1858 by the aristocratic winemaker Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga. This Spanish vineyard was the first to produce and sell bottled wine in the country and receive an Honorary Diploma from the Bordeaux Wine Exhibition.
If you visit the vineyards Marqués de Riscal, you will experience the “Ciudad del Vino” (City of Wine), where they offer a 360 experience with wine.
There are three main buildings: the “Bodega Original” with a bottle from the 1860s; the “Palomar,” where they produce and keep the premium wines; and the Marqués de Riscal Luxury Collection Hotel, and an emblematic building designed by Frank O.Gehry (architect of the Guggenheim Museum, 8 Spruce, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall).
The hotel offers a Vinotherapy Spa by the brand Caudalie and four gastronomic spaces to experience wine with suitable dishes.
Last but not leats, their wine. Let’s leave the experts from the World’s Best Vineyards describe it:
“Reds are made predominantly from the signature Tempranillo grape, with some Graciano and others also going into a summery rosé blend. A sturdier rosé comes from Castilla y León and whites from the family’s Rueda vineyards, using Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. All are designed to be original, fresh, and easy to drink”.
2. Vineyards Vivanco
📍Location: Briones, La Rioja
ℹ️ Webiste: Vivanco
🔖 Book your visit: Choose you next experience
Vineyards Vivanco is a family business that started over 100 years ago. On their website, the two Vivanco brothers tell the story of their great-grandfather, grandfather, and dad, three generations working passionately to produce excellent wine.
Like the Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, vineyards Vivanco occupy position 44 of the 50 World’s Best Vineyards in 2022.
The second stop of our Spanish wine route is in Briones, La Rioja, 1 hour away from Bilbao, Logroño, and Pamplona, and three hours away from Madrid.
Suppose you are staying in Madrid, my recommendation would be to rent a car, leave early in the morning for the wine tour at vineyards Vivanco, and spend the night in the village. That way, you can enjoy the wine and sightsee a bit of the region in a 2-day trip!
Now, vineyards Vivanco offers different types of experiences. You can choose from visiting the winery plus two-wine tasting to an in-depth wine-tasting class.
You can also book a visit to their Museum of Wine Culture to learn all about the history of winemaking, the variety of grapes, and an additional collection of art that the Vivanco family has acquired through the years.
What do you need to know about their wine? Let the experts tell you:
“Modern, fruit-forward Rioja blancos and reds of fourth-generation Rafael Vivanco Sáez are central to its appeal.” - 50 World’s Best Vineyards in 2022.
“Our vineyards produce a range of bold and modern wines with a marked personality that epitomizes the entrepreneurial and innovative character of Bodegas Vivanco” Vivanco Family.
3. Vineyard Marqués de Murrieta
📍Location: Logroño, La Rioja
🗓️Foundation: 1852
ℹ️ Webiste: Marqués de Murrieta
🔖 Book your visit: Book your next experience
Marqués de Murrieta’s vineyards are located three hours away from Madrid by car. If you plan to visit, I would recommend arriving in Madrid, renting a car, and spending a night in Logroño.
Another popular city that is very close to the vinyards is Pamplona.
Marqués de Murrieta occupies position 66 of the 100 Best World Vinyards in 2022. It is located in the Castle of Ygay in Logroño, La Rioja, and they have been producing wine for more than 160 years.
Just like the Marqués de Riscal, the bodegas of the Marqués de Murrieta were one of the first to produce wine in Spain and export to countries like Mexico. In 2019, the municipality of La Rioja declared the Castle of Ygay an official museum.
Besides the castle, which was designed as the wine châtaux in France, in 2021, Marqués de Murrieta inaugurated their new and biggest winery right next to the castle. Their new installations are meant to continue their search for perfection and innovation in each wine.
This awarded Spanish vineyard also offers different experiences; you can choose the one that suits you best.
Visitors can choose between tours around their installations to a tour tasting three of their different wines. The choice will depend on your budget and type of trip.
What do you need to know about their wine? Let the experts tell you:
It is a palpable example of the elegance, solidity, and regularity that characterize the Marqués de Murrieta winery. The wine shows the incredible personality of Finca Ygay and summarizes everything that happens in it during a vegetative cycle.
Made with tempranillo, mazuelo, graciano and garnacha, each variety contributes its own personality to assemble into a balanced wine after barrel aging.
Vineyards in Ribera del Duero
4. Bodega los Protos
📍Location: Valladolid, Castille-Leon
🗓️Foundation: 1927
ℹ️ Webiste: Bodegas Protos
🔖 Book your visit: Book your next experience
It might light you up knowing that if you are arriving in Madrid, the Proto Vineyards are just two hours away by car!
Bodegas Protos has won several awards, such as the Civic Trust Awards, the Wine of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine, the Brand of Excellence by Superbrands, and an award by the Spanish government for being an excellent food company.
These vineyards were founded in 1927 by a group of visionary, wine-loving men, and in 1987 their efforts were recognized when the wine was given the recognition of “Ribera del Duero Denominación de Origen,” which means their offer wine of excellent quality.
Bodegas Protos own two different wineries, the original winery in Peñafiel, Valladolid, with a brand new building that acts as the protagonist to the wine tours, and their Protos High Technology Center in Burgos.
Protos Vineyards offer different tours and experiences, plus two great gastronomy offers to try with their wine.
These vineyards produce excellent red, white (Rueda), and rosé wine from Ribera del Duero.
Great vineyards in other Spanish regions
5. González Byass - Bodegas Tío Pepe
📍Location: Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia
🗓️Foundation: 1835
ℹ️ Website: Tio Pepe
🔖 Book your visit: Book your next experience
Before we talk a bit more about the Spanish vineyards González Byass - Bodegas Tío Pepe, let us explain what the wine of Jérez is. The wine of Jerez is a fortified wine; this means that a spirit like brandy has been added to its process to increase the level of alcohol.
Jerez de la Frontera has its own D.O (Denomination or Origin) called “Jerez Xérès Sherry,” and that is the seal that indicates that the wine from González Byass - Bodegas Tío Pepe is high quality.
Besides, of course, occupying the position 6th of the 50 World’s Best Vineyards in 2022!
Some people think that the “The Shell”, the ceiling of the main winery, as built by Gustave Eiffel. But the truth is that the iron arquitecture is attributed to the British engineer Joseph Coogan.
So these vineyards were founded in 1835 by Manuel María González Ángel. His dedication to the special wine of Jerez attracted the English wine merchant Robert Blake Byass, who was vital in taking the Jerez wine to the world.
The Spanish Vineyards González Byass - Bodegas Tío Pepe offers different types of Jérez wine, which are “Finos, Olorosos, Amontillados, Palos Cortados y Vinos Dulces.” On top of that, Tío Pepe provides other products such as vermouth, brandy, and whisky.
In the Bodegas Tío Pepe, you can experience different types of visits. From tastings to personalized, visiting these vineyards will even give you the option to stay at the first Sherry boutique hotel in the world.
What do you need to know about their wine? Let the experts tell you:
“Tío Pepe produces sherries spanning the entire spectrum, from dry to lusciously sweet (the Pedro Ximénez is called ‘Nectar’ and those mice would seem to agree), plus historical ranges including the ‘Vors’ line (matured for upwards of 30 years) and ‘Finito’ (made from barrels long-forgotten in the cellars). The brandies, vermouths, and aged vinegar all exhibit the same, inimitable character.”
6. Bodegas Abadia Retuerta
📍Location: Valladolid, Castille - Leon
🗓️Foundation: 1,112
ℹ️ Website: Abadía de Retuerta
🔖 Book your visit: Unique experiences
Likewise, González Byass - Bodegas Tío Pepe, the Vineyards Abadía Retuerta is just two hours away from Madrid, and the experiences that this bodega offers are absolutely different.
Abadia Retuerta is an XII-century monastery turned into a luxury hotel and vineyard by the Novartis Group in Spain. The business group also decided to resume the tradition of wine production that the monks used to have. With the advice of experienced enologists and the French professional Pascal Delbeck, the group reconstructed the vineyards of Abadía Retuerta.
In 2022, the Spanish vineyards occupied position 29 of the 50 Best Vineyards in the world.
The European Commission granted the wines from Abadía de Retuerta the label of Protected Denomination of Origin due to the history behind the lands and architecture that support today’s production.
It is a personal choice to stay or not in the hotel, but if you only want to visit the vineyards, you absolutely can. Abadía Retuerta offers unique experiences around wine and vineyards. A perfect choice for a couple would be their bike tour plus a picnic.
What do you need to know about their wine? Let the experts tell you:
“The majority is planted to Tempranillo, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and small amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot. White varieties including Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo make a surprisingly age-worthy blend”.
7. Bodegas Torres
📍Location: Pacs del Penedès, Catalonia
🗓️Foundation: 1870
ℹ️ Website: Familia Torres
🔖 Book your visit: Choose your experience!
The vineyards of Familia Torres in Pacs del Penedès are just one hour away from Barcelona by car and two hours away by public transport.
This bodega occupies position 34 of the 50 World’s Best Vineyards in 2022.
The story of the Familia Torres goes back to five generations of hardworking brothers who took a risk back in the XIX century to produce and export top-quality wine.
Today, the leading team of the Familia Torres vineyards is Miguel Torres Maczassek and Mireia Torres Maczassek. Brother and sister have committed to producing great quality wine, with sustainability as their top objective.
The Spanish vineyards, Familia Torres, own lands in different parts of Spain, so in their catalog of wines, you will find production from Catalonia, La Rioja, the Rivera del Duero, and even California.
What do these vineyards have to offer?
The Familia Torres vineyards offer three types of activities a visit through their winery, tastings, and the opportunity to get a gastronomic experience at their restaurant El Celleret.
What do you need to know about their wine? Let the experts tell you:
The Penedès region is noted for its varied terrain and microclimates, enabling a large selection of grapes to flourish. In particular, the Torres family is known for its stunning Cabernet Sauvignon’ Mas Le Plana,’ which has triumphed on the global stage ever since the Wine Olympics of 1979, but they are now experimenting with ancient Spanish varieties, including Garró, Querol, and Forcada, and encouraging other local winemakers to do the same.
8. Vineyards Luis Pérez
📍Location: Jérez de la Frontera, Andalusia
🗓️Foundation: 2002
ℹ️ Website: Bodegas Luis Pérez
🔖 Book your visit: Choose your experience!
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Once again, the vineyard Luis Pérez is a family-owned winery that earned great fame and respect in the wine universe in only a few years.
If you plan on traveling through Andalusia, you could visit both the Bodega of Luis Pérez and Tio Pepe; in that way, you will have a complete experience of wine from Jérez.
The Luis Pérez Vineyards owns four different plots of land where they cultivate their wine offering. You will find three categories in their catalog: Vinos de pastos, Jereces, and Tranquilos. Each category has more than one type of wine, and you can taste them in the experiences that the vineyards have to offer.
What do these vineyards have to offer? The Bodegas Luis Pérez will provide you with three experiences: a tour through their vineyards, a tour and tasting, and the opportunity to create a private visit.
Plan ahead of time, and don’t miss the opportunity of booking a great experience!
9. Vineyard Sommos
📍Location: Huesca, Aragon
ℹ️ Website: Sommos
🔖 Book your visit: Choose your experience!
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And to finish our tour through Spanish vineyards, we are moving to the north of Spain to the regions of Aragon. Our last vineyard is Bodegas Sommos in the well-known wine production terrain of Somontano, which also has its Denomination of Origin label.
The website of this Spanish vineyard doesn’t include the story of the family or business group who developed it. Still, it does mention its outstanding efforts in the research and innovation of the company.
The most iconic part of this vineyard is its main building, which acts as a reflector of the whole terrain. And when it comes to experiences, they have a variety to offer!
From tours and tasting to an escape room activity that will make your visit even more entertaining.
If you want to tour different Spanish vineyards, I suggest you stay at a strategic location. For example, you could rent a car from Madrid to stay in Logroño and visit all the vineyards in La Rioja and Rivera del Duero.
By renting a car, you can also enjoy the beauty of the Spanish roads and nature outside the bigger cities.
If you have visited any of these Spanish vineyards before, let us know! We would love it if you could share your experience with us and fellow readers.
