Winetasting in Castilla y León

I’m wandering among castle tunnels in the Castilla y León region of northwestern Spain, wondering what the walls would say if they could speak. But they are silent, buffeted on either side by oak barrels numbering in the thousands. The tunnels weave through the interior of a mountain leading up to Peñafiel Castle, where a fortress once stood that was the main line of defense for the nearby Duero River.  Now, the castle looks out over sweeping fields ripe with vines, and the main defensive maneuvers are not against invading armies but against the elements.  It’s the fall grape harvest and as the days grow shorter, the rush is on to reap the best of the crops. In Castilla y León the harvest is bountiful. A few decades ago, wine production in this region one to three hours north of Madrid centered on a handful of vineyards. Today, there are over 400 under appellation control and the region has become an epicenter of eno-tourism.

Avila City Walls.

Beneath the castle grounds, I’m touring the Protos winery, its name derived from the Greek word for “first,” though the winery was actually preceded by monks who began storing wines in these tunnels in the 15^th century. Today, Protos combines old with new, a common theme I find throughout the region. The barrels within the tunnels have to be worked by hand since the corridors are too narrow for machines but ultimately the corridors lead to a “new” winery, built as part of a trend toward fabricating architecturally significant wineries. In the case of Protos, the architecture is a stunningly modern but melds with the functional for activities like pressing and bottling – up to 10,000 bottles per hour. Tradition remains strong, however, and every grape is still harvested by hand. I sample the results, a 2008 Protos Crianza red made from Tempranillo grapes, aged 14 months in oak. The color is rich and the taste balanced with hints of blackberry, raspberry and spice.

Protos is one among endless touring possibilities for wine enthusiasts looking for easy day trips from Madrid, or for just discovering this beautiful scenic region dotted with medieval villages nestled among rolling hills. The region consists of nine provinces. Highlights include Segovia, a captivating UNESCO city that features a soaring Roman aqueduct, considered one of the best preserved in the world, and a grand castle called Alcazar that inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle. Another charmer is the village of Avila, which dates to the 8^th century and is marked by meandering walls crowned with 88 towers. But charm can be found at nearly every turn here, like in Peñafiel where I stumble upon a bullring and imagine the rousing crowds during season. I lunch in a warmly lit, romantic cellar, indulging in Iberian hams, whole lamb and Castilian style cheesecake.

It’s harvest time that has drawn me to this region, however, so at last I get down to the dirty work, donning apron and gloves and arming myself with pruning shears. I’m helping to harvest the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes near the banks of the Duero River at the Abadia Retuerta vineyard. I’m among a group of travelers forming pairs to line the rows, quickly filling pails with ripe, robust grapes. We watch as they’re placed in a traditional press, the handles are turned and the fruits of our labor begin to flow. Like at Protos, we’re also taught how Abadia Retuerta blends the best of old and new.

The vineyard, spanning 600 acres near Valladolid, once belonged to monks that resided in the monastery on the premises. Our wine guide, Maria Martin Escudero, tells us that the current owner decided to revert to some of the time-honored winemaking traditions from the 12^th century monks, but only after first replanting and undertaking several technological advances. Grapes are still hand-picked, but new twists to the old include sensors installed on each plot that send meteorological updates to an analysis center every 12 minutes, and bladed towers which act like windmills for blending cool and warm air should frost threaten. The result is that the winery turns out some of the finest wines in the world. “Now we need two more weeks of sun for the perfect vintage,” Maria tells me.

As I sip the vineyard’s Pago Negralada, a 2009 Tempranillo, with licorice and anise spicing its aromatic scents of berries, I’m convinced the vineyard has already reached perfection. But still I continue on my eno-tour in Castilla y Leon, because maybe, just maybe, around the bend I’ll find the consummate Spanish wine. In the meantime, I certainly don’t mind exploring more picturesque villages and drinking some of the best wine in the world.

Location: Castilla y León, the largest region in Spain, is a one to three hour drive from Madrid, less by high-speed train.

The country code for Spain is 34.