Enotourism is an up and coming business. According to the Spanish Association of Wine Cities (Acevin), in 2019 – before the pandemic – tourism around wine and its culture mobilized more than three million travelers in Spain and generated 85,6 million euros, 90% as direct income in wineries and the rest in tickets to museums and activities. If the profits of companies and associated services (hotels, rural houses, restaurants, souvenir shops) were added to that figure, the figure could reach 256,7 millions. Not bad at all.
The best showcase for enotourism is the B2B exhibition FINE in Feria de Valladolid, which took place March 1st and 2nd, 2022, for the third edition.I want to share here the highlights of my visit to FINE, discovering wineries in Spain and their enotourism proposals:
– Ferrer Miranda: owner by the renowned Ferrer family, this new company officially was born in 2019. They have wineries in several locations in Spain: Valdubón in Ribera del Duero, Solar Viejo y Rioja Alavesa, Vionta in Rias Baixas and Finca Ferrer in Argentina. Big wow, all on my bucketlist.Ferrer Miranda offers several types of wines, and their commitment to quality, innovation and excellence in all its products. 45% of the employees are women, I love this as wine, is a very male sector.
Further activities beside the standard visit (visit + tasting): tasting by the most important Spanish DO -a must for international visitors-, tasting and pairing of food and wine, Starred Michelin chef dinner in the cellar, play to be winemaker for a day, vineyards visit and work on them. – Alicante Wine Route: Alicante wines are not very well known and the route is to promote the enotourisme in the province and the D.O.P wines of Alicante, it encourages the tasting of agri-food products and organizes a wide variety of activities, from cultural and recreational to professional conferences, always with the collaboration of associated wineries and companies attached to the Route as well as associated organizations.The range goes from modern wineries to historical ones, from the typical wine tasting and winery visit, to weddings in the vineyards and pairing wines with chocolate.
A very interesting route to add to my bucketlist.– Granbazán: with this unique neoclassical palace in the heart of Rias Baixas, Granbazán offers a full range of wine tourism activities to unwind and relax by taking a beautiful walk through the vineyards, discovering the origins of viticulture in the Rias Baixas, the history of the Albariño and the relevance of their winery as a pioneer in the elaboration of unique white wines.The privileged geographical location of Bodegas Granbazán makes it a perfect place to go hiking, enjoy its forests, the rivers and mill routes, as well as numerous nearby points with great architectural and cultural value. So plan in your agenda wine tasting mixed of all the Rias Baixas beauties.– Baigorri: the huge symbol of the winery is the main building, where the architecture dominates the landscape. A building that adapts to the existing topography and harmoniously develops its entire program under the surface. A place where you can contemplate how the whole process of winemaking takes place. Bodegas Baigorri has been designed and built by the architect Iñaki Aspiazu. Creation directed to the peculiar way of elaboration of their wines and reference of the architecture in the landscape respecting the environment where it is located.A unique location of the Rioja Alavesa with an incomparable setting for the cultivation of the vine. Only a gigantic glass box is what we see from the outside when we speak of Bodegas Baigorri. Surrounded by an immense sea of vineyards overlooking the town of Samaniego and under the Sierra de Cantabria surprises visitors when they enter the building, they discover that under the surface sevenfloors hidden underground where gravity acquires all the protagonism.– Bodegas Habla: I fell in love with the design of the Habla wines, such simple elegant bottles. Even the leaflet I was given in the booth was packed in a beautiful black box. The name «Habla», which means «speak» in Spanish, pays tribute to the sculptor and artist Michelangelo for the spirit of perfection. You find these wines in Trujillo, Cáceres.Visiting the winery, people can discover the secrets of the organic viticulture, appreciate the different grape varieties and know times of ripening and vintage collection. Within the very heart of the winery, you can also taste the wines currently on the market, know the elaboration and ageing rooms and the Museum which houses the legendary collection of all the Habla wines from the beginning.
Within the natural environment of the winery you can enjoy beautiful specimens of “Pura Raza Española” (PRE) horses of the stud JT, one of the most prestigious in Spain.– Cerrato Palentino: most of the wineries are hidden in hills where in the top you can find houses or even castles. In the town of Baltanás, one of the most beautiful neighborhoods and the best preserved of Cerrato. Up to seven floors of cellars on the hill with their exemplary chimneys that according to some studies inspired in the architect Gaudí to design the chimneys of La Pedrera. Here you can find further information about the curious construtions.– Velvety Wines: in the heart of Ribera del Duero, in Pesquera del Duero, their wines are made from grapes from their own vineyards, some of them surrounding the winery itself. While others are located in various places with different climatological and soil characteristics that bring complexity and elegance to their vines.The Velvety Wines winery is an exceptional building designed in solid concrete and transparent glass. Pure lines in light and neutral tones where we join spaces; own vineyards, history and harmony between an exclusive aesthetic and functionality for the elaboration of their wines. They also have a wine bar.
– Bodegas Protos: protos means “first” in Greek, and since 1927 this centenary winery has embarked on the mission to be number one. This attitude has driven their search for constant improvement. The new facilities designed by prestigious architect and winner of the Priztker Award, Sir Richard Rogers, once again took the winery to the forefront of wine tourism.They have wineries in Rueda and in Ribera del Duero. The one in Peñafiel, the most important one, has the winery not only in the new building but also in the caves 2,5 kms long below the Peñafiel Castle, something truly unique.
Inside you can also find the Kingdom of the letters, with an exhibition of important Spanish writers and important personalities of the region.
You can book visits from 15€.– Bodegas Faustino: 6 wineries and 4 designation of origin, and the main one, Bodegas Faustino is located in Oyón, Rioja Alavesa, enjoys international distinction earned over more than 150 years of experience in the production and ageing of premium wines. It is the most internationally sold Spanish wine. It began its exporting endeavours in the 1960s with a first shipment to Austria. Today it sells its wines in more than 70 countries across the world. Its main market is the European Union, which accounts for more than 70% of exports.Beside the winery visit and tasting, they propose their iconic venues to hire where you can round off your planned activities with a tour around the winery, a tasting session or other activities tailored to your needs.– Castilla la Mancha – DO Jumilla: La Mancha is an ideal area for growing grapes because the yield per hectar is not very high and of premium quality. In addition, the health of their vines is extraordinary due to the long hours of sunshine they receive and their great ripening cycle.
And the designation of origin Jumilla is located in the Southeast of Spain, and it covers a wide district in the North of the region of Murcia and part of the Southeast of the province of Albacete. It is a rough region where the vineyards are spread across a table-land surrounded by mountains.They produce very interesting wines and most of the wineries have either a museum, or a particular architecture symbol, truly unique. More information in this link.More interesting proposals in Valladolid: read the 7 most authentic local products to buy and enjoy
Read here my full enotourism experience in Hotel & Spa Arzuaga