5 places wine lovers won’t want to miss

Did you know that Spain is the country with the largest number of working vineyards in the world? That being said, it should come as no surprise that as well as a wide variety of excellent white, red and rosé wines, Spain also has a booming wine tourism industry. So if you’re one of those people who gets excited when the grape-harvesting season approaches, don’t miss the chance to visit these places, which are recommended especially for wine lovers.

PLACES WINE LOVERS WON’T WANT TO MISS:

1. La Rioja Alavesa

If you’re a wine lover, you know that La Rioja wines are particularly delicious, fresh and aromatic, with an evenly balanced composition. So if you decide to do a bit of wine tourism, a trip to the Rioja Alavesa region in the Basque Country is a must.

If you stay in the picturesque town of Laguardia, be sure to ask about the special service available to wine-tasting enthusiasts: leave the car behind and take the Enobús, the wine bus which stops at more than 50 local wineries.

2. Ribera del Duero

This region runs along the bank of the Douro River, between Valladolid, Burgos and Soria. The full-bodied red wine (and also some rosé) made from Tempranillo grapes is produced in this region. Discover the wines of this region on one of the organized wine-tasting tours to its famous underground wine cellars.

Wine tourism has become very popular in this region in recent years, where culture and wine go hand-in-hand. One can visit the Wine Museum in Peñafiel or the Wine Architecture Centre in Aranda de Duero.

3. El Marco de Jerez

Here’s a fun fact for epicures: the wine of Jerez is one of the oldest wines in the world. With more than 3,000 years of history at its back, it has been around since Roman times. Nowadays, one of the best things about this wine is that it pairs well with any type of food and is pleasing to all kinds of palates.

See for yourself. After a visit to the famous wine and brandy region of Jerez, stop in for a meal at the El Lagar restaurant in the Barceló Montecastillo hotel, where the wine steward will give you expert advice on the best wine to accompany your meal.

4. Priorat

Priorat wine takes its name from the Priorat region of Tarragona, which produces an intense, dense and very rich wine that has garnered much praise in recent years.

Places you won’t want to miss on your visit to the Priorat region include the “wine cathedrals” and the wineries at the Scala Dei Monastery and Cornudella de Montsant.

5. Navarre

September is the ideal month to visit Navarre’s winegrowing region, where a grape-harvesting festival is held every year in the city of Olite. The region’s innumerable and beautiful vineyards can be visited on foot, by bike or on horseback.