4 Must-Do Wine Tours in Madrid

Madrid Wine Tours: 4 Wine Tours You Can’t-Miss!

Are you interested in Wine Tourism, but fancy a holiday with architecture, literature, and Spanish culture as well? Have you ever wanted to take part in one of the Madrid Wine Tours but don’t know how to begin selecting the best one? The below article will give you relevant tips about four of the most famous and beautiful locations around Madrid that you should visit: Segovia, Toledo, Ribera del Duero, and Rioja.

I’ve picked four wine tours around Madrid for you. The first three are day trips whilst the last one is a 3 day trip for those of you who might have extra time to explore. Read the below short guides to know what to expect from each region and enjoy! Segovia, Toledo, Ribera del Duero, and Rioja are all accessible destinations from Madrid that are worth visiting and they offer wonderful wine tours.  Let’s find out more!

Day Trip to La Mancha and Don Quixote Mills

How does wine, literature, and Spanish culture sound for a day trip?  The region of La Mancha has its own DO, i.e. Denominación de Origen, for wines. It’s located in the center of Spain in the autonomous community of Castille-La Mancha and it produces nearly half of Spain’s wine production.  Various grape varieties are planted here and la Mancha is famous for its production of well-made inexpensive red and white wines which are primarily exported.

There’s not just good price-quality value wine here, you can visit the famous Campo de Criptana, the windmills that inspired Cervantes in his famous novel, and the UNESCO heritage site of Aranjuez as well.

You have ample choice when it comes down to wineries. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

• Bodegas Aruspide
• La Bodega de las Estrellas
• Bodegas Finca Rio Negro
• Bodega Iniesta
• Bodega Cerron

Day Trip to Segovia and Ribera del Duero

If you are a lover of bold red wine and architecture, this is your region. Ribera del Duero is one of the most important wine regions in Spain and has its own D.O., i.e. Denominación de Origen as well.  It’s located in the northern part of Spain and covers places like Burgos, Soria, Segovia, and Valladolid.

The majority of the wines produced in the area are red and primarily from Tempranillo, or Tinto Fino, as it’s called in the area. You can find it in purity or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot. Expect wines with concentrated fruity flavors, tannins with short aging in new oak barrels from France.

I highly recommend you pay a visit to Segovia, one of Spain’s most famous UNESCO sites. There’s plenty to visit here: the Cathedral, the Alcazar castle, El Escorial Monastery, La Granja de San Ildefonso, and even its aqueduct.

You have ample choice when it comes down to wineries. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

• Bodegas Emilio Moro
• Abadia Retuerta
• Bodegas y Viñedos Linaje Garsea
• Bodegas Portia
• Bodega Emina

Day Trip to Toldedo

Have you ever been to Toledo? If you haven’t, you don’t know what you are missing. Toledo is also part of the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha seen above. Toledo is also another great Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Toledo is known as the “Imperial City” and the “City of the Three Cultures” because it was the main venue of the Roman Emperor Charles V as well as influenced through history by cultures of Christian, Muslims, and Jews. As you might guess, there’s plenty to see in Toledo

Of course wine-wise, you have ample choice when it comes down to wineries. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

• Bodegas Tierras de Orgaz
• Finca Constancia
• Bodegas Osborne
• Bodega Campos de Dulcinea
• Bodegas y Vinedos Casa del Valle

3 Days Trip – Ribera del Duero & Rioja

Fancy a longer trip where you can explore two of the most famous wine regions in Spain stopping by in Segovia, one of the most famous of Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage city? This is by far your safest bet.

We touched on both Ribera del Duero and Segovia, but why Rioja? Well, if you are after an amazing food and wine experience in an unspoiled landscape, then you must visit Rioja. Rioja has its own D.O.Ca, i.e. Denominación de Origen Calificada, and it is located in the northern part of Spain, in the Basque Country.

Tempranillo, Garnacha (red), and Viura (white) are the grapes most widely cultivated. For long-term maturation red wines expect deep color with intense fruity flavors and either vanilla or spice aromas depending on American or French oak barrels. White wines are generally rich in fruit flavors. Those who undergo barrel fermentation will display nutty notes as well.

You have ample choice when it comes down to wineries in Rioja. Some of the most famous in the area, which you can visit, are:

• Vivanco
• Viña Real
• Ysios
• Marques de Murrieta
• Marques de Riscal

Final Thoughts

Madrid has a lot to offer for wine tourism, it’s not just beautiful and risk it is also strategically located and well connected which makes it easier to organize your trip, be it on your own or organized with the many tour guides.

I hope you have found the before-mentioned tips useful to organize your next wine tour around Madrid. Enjoy!

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About The Author:  Chiara Gomiero is the founder and writer at Handy Wine Guide.com.  Her mission? Simple, make the world of wine more accessible to you and by doing so enhancing your experience. Whether you’re looking for wine pairing ideas, serving tips, and fun facts about wines, or just want to learn more about the amazing world of wine, be sure to check out some of her articles!