Hi all. My wife and I are traveling to Spain in June and will be spending 3 days/nights in Ribera del Duero. Given the short stay, I’d like to make appointments to taste at 3-4 great bodegas.
I understand that Vega Sicilia is a pipe dream and that Pingus is a very difficult appointment to secure. But I would be tremendously grateful for any other suggestions this group might have regarding other places that would be worthwhile to visit. While I really enjoy RDD wines, I’d like to try and avoid places that tend to skew towards the more oaky/extracted style. I have heard excellent things about Moro, Mauro, and Pesqueria, although I’m sure that there are many others that are not on my radar.
Some other quick questions are as follows:
We will be staying in RDD over a Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Are there days when bodegas tend not to be open? I’d ideally like to do a full day of tasting on Saturday.
Does anyone have any tips for securing an appointment at Pingus? While I fully recognize that this is a longshot, it doesn’t hurt to try. They don’t have a website, and I haven’t been able to track down an email. (My Spanish is mediocre (at best), so I’d prefer not to call…)
We will be renting a car and have no problem shuttling ourselves around the region. That said, if anyone can recommend an outstanding wine guide, I’d consider doing a private tour.
We are staying at Abadia Retuerta. I must confess that I haven’t tried their wines. Is their tasting a worthwhile experience?
Any other recs (restaurants, excursions, etc.) would be very much appreciated!
Thanks in advance for any input you might be able to provide.
@ToddFrench Can we get this one moved to the Travel and Wine Tourism Forum as well the Portugal thread? I know I am curmudgeon about it, but if we don’t encourage people to use that forum, it will get less use and be less helpful.
The visit to Abadía Retuerta’s winery is well worth its while. And their wines are excellent too: Negralada is a 100% Tempranillo not too oaky, and they have an excellent 100% Cabernet (Valdebellón), 100% Syrah (Pago Garduña) and a 100% (I believe) Petit Verdot.
As for their hotel, I am sure you will love it. First-Class.
I would also recommend the visit to Pago de Carraovejas. Some of their wines are oaky but they have many types: I am sure you will find some you like. But most importantly, the winery is nothing short of spectacular and they have a Michelin 1-star restaurant (Ambivium) worth having lunch at. Make sure to book in advance. Open only on weekends, if I am not wrong.
As for Pingus…a tough one. I have tried myself unsuccessfully even after having dinner with Sisseck and sending him a personal email. Vega Sicilia, even harder.
Emilio Moro is also a nice winery to visit. Good wines too.
Pesquera is a nice visit, but their wines err on the oaky side… It is historical, though: the winery that started it all in Ribera.
Pago de Carraovejas is good not great, but the winery is like a Bond villain lair. If I recall, they actually have a pretty decent cocktail program if you’d like to mix it up.
Our favorites in order: Bodegas López Cristóbal - Roa - The nicest people with great wines and a beautiful winery. Be sure to head up to Asados Nazareno in Roa after for lunch or dinner. Bodegas Epifanio Rivera - Pesquera de Duero - Very small, but worthy wines in an intimate setting Bodegas y Viñedos Monteabellon - Nava de Roa - Wide selection of wines, vineyard tours available. Viñedos y Bodegas García Figuero - Roa - Great wine, deeper selections, but a bit larger than the first two. Bodegas Legaris - Peñafiel - Cool winery, most commercial of the bunch.
You will need to email most places directly to set up tastings. If you would like me to introduce you to the proprietor of Bodegas López Cristóbal, send me a DM.
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Thanks very much for the helpful reply. Pago de Carraovejas paired with lunch at Ambivium sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon. I will definitely look into it.
I’ve heard excellent things about Moro. And one of their wines got an outstanding write up by Eric Asimov from the NYTimes a number of years ago, which is a solid endorsement. It is always fun to try places that do not have local distribution, although I would imagine that they have many bottling that are not sold here in the U.S.
As for Pingus — it definitely seems tricky. At present, I’m still trying to find a way to contact them!
In any event, thanks again for the recs. Will keep you posted.
Thanks very much for the helpful reply. Pago de Carraovejas paired with lunch at Ambivium sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon. I will definitely look into it.
I’ve heard excellent things about Moro. And one of their wines got an outstanding write up by Eric Asimov from the NYTimes a number of years ago, which is a solid endorsement. It is always fun to try places that do not have local distribution, although I would imagine that they have many bottling that are not sold here in the U.S.
As for Pingus — it definitely seems tricky. At present, I’m still trying to find a way to contact them!
In any event, thanks again for the recs. Will keep you posted.
Abadia wines have improved a lot over the past ten years, and the winery itself is very interesting and different. Visit Emilio Moro for sure. Pago de Capellanes is worth a visit as is Protos.
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