| Important Information about Wine Tour in Spain | |
|---|---|
| Duration of Trip | 2-3 Days |
| Best Time to visit | Apr-May & Sep-Oct |
| Type of Trip | Solo, Couples Trip |
| What is Famous for | Wines, Vineyards, Landscapes, |
Spain is a place famous for its food, culture, and it’s wine cellars, which is a good enough reason why a wine road trip to this country should be on your list. With a wide and exciting variety of wines, Spanish wine country is pretty incredible. Spain’s varied climates, year-round sunshine, geography, and a long history of winemaking make it one of the best countries in the world to soak yourself in the richness of its wine regions. In this post, we have listed the top5 road trip itineraries around Spain that you can take if you are a wine lover.
So, what are you waiting for? Hop in your car and make your way through the vineyards and wineries of this beautiful country. You can even book a rental car or a caravan in case you want to take this trip with your friend and family. To help you make the most of your trip, we have here are five best routes that you cannot miss!
01 Ribera del Duero Wine Route
Visit Ribera del Duero, which is located in the northern region of central Spain. The region boasts over 2,000 years of history producing famous reds and runs along the Duero River towards Portugal. This is one of Spain’s most renowned wine regions that has been constantly winning international awards and accolades for its bold, aromatic reds made from the Tempranillo grape. With around 250 wineries dotted across approximately 20,000 hectares of vineyards, producing over 50 million bottles of wine per year, Ribera del Duero is a must stop for all red wine lovers touring through northern Spain. Some of the best wineries in the Ribera del Duero route include Mauro, Vega Sicilia, Pingus, and Abadia Retuerta.
02 La Rioja Wine Tour
Sitting just below the Basque Country, La Rioja is the country’s most famous wine destination. Home to Spain’s famous grape: Tempranillo, the La Rioja wine region extends for around 120km along the River Ebro and is made up of three different wine-producing areas – Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja. No Spanish wine tour is complete without visiting this famous region. Wine-making here also dates back to Roman times. La Rioja is world-famous for barrel aging its wines, and there is nothing like a rare Gran Reserva from a reputable bodega, which is only allowed to be made in particularly good harvest years. There are four main categories of wines that include the young Rioja, the one-year oak-aged Crianza, the three-year oak, and bottle-aged Reserva.
03 The Sherry Road Trip
Jerez, located in Spain’s Andalusia region, is known as the Sherry wine capital of the world. Make your way to the Sherry Triangle and discover some of the most delicious wines in the world. Sherries are essentially complex, fortified wines made from white grapes grown exclusively in the Jerez, Andalusia region. You can also go for guided Wine tours here, which are most informative, historic, and surprisingly delicious. You can enjoy the wines either as apéritifs or as a dessert after dinner. Some of the main types of sherries produced in the Andalusia region include amontillado, fino, oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez. All these wines have slightly different sweetnesses and flavors.
04 Empordà Wine Tour
The Empordà region is located in the far northeastern corner of Spain, within Catalonia, and sits right along on the border of France. Empordà, with its winemaking heritage, has a great variety of wines. The red wines here are of high quality, full-bodied, well-structured, and harmonious. The specialty of this region is the Garnatxa de l’Empordà, which is a naturally sweet wine made from the Garnacha grape. Rosé wines are also produced here from the Cariñena grape and have a well-defined cherry color, a delicate aroma, fresh with moderate alcohol content.
05 Penedès Wine Tour
A wine region in Spain’s Catalonia Community, Penedès is celebrated for its production of sparkling whites and rosés of Cava, made from local varieties of grapes. Cava is Spain’s delicious answer to France’s champagne and is a must-try for any wine lover touring Spain. With about 95% of all Cava produced in the Penedès region, there is no better spot to know about the production and learn about the history of this famous Spanish wine. With other notable white wine varieties and some famous oak-aged red wines found here as well, which include Xarel. lo and Parellada, while international wines such as chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. The best part is that these also grow well here.
Fans of the reds will also love this region for its full-bodied and award-winning varieties. While touring the region’s excellent vineyards, you can also check out the small wine museum in Vilafranca del Penedès to discover more about the ancient methods here, which date back to Roman times.