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Madrid wine region is a place offering fabulous wines as well as wonderful gastronomy and heritage sites. Indeed, Madrid is not only a lively city and the capital of Spain but also an outstanding wine region, believe it or not!
Within Greater Madrid you will find hundreds of hectares of vineyards planted up to 800 meters above the sea, producing award-winning wines!
This Designation of Origin is called ‘Vinos de Madrid’ (Wines from Madrid) and was created in 1990. Madrid wine region is integrated by 3 sub-zones including: Arganda, Navalcarnero and San Martín. The most widely planted is Arganda, followed by San Martín and Navalcarnero.
Romans introduced vines in the region and in the entire Iberian Peninsula. However, the first document stating wine production in the area dates back to the 13th Century and there is some evidence that the grape variety Garnacha (or Grenache) was first found in the XII Century in the area of San Martín in Greater Madrid.
Over the past centuries Madrid wines have played an important role in the economy, the festivities and the gastronomy of the area reaching nowadays a high reputation among Spanish wines.
Continental, dry with typically long hot summers and cold winters.
We can find different kinds of soils according to each of the 3 Madrid wine sub-regions:
The predominant grape varieties are Garnacha and Tempranillo for red wines. With regards to white wines, Malvar and Albillo Real are the main grape varieties.
But there are many more varietals permitted within Vinos de Madrid Designation of Origin including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah for reds and Airén, Torrontés, Moscatel, Sauvignon Blanc and Parellada concerning white grape varieties, among others.
We have picked three vineyards worth visiting within the Designation of Origin Vinos de Madrid. There are many more you would enjoy touring but here you have at least 3 you won’t regret going to!
A beautiful and historic winery founded by King Carlos III in 1782 situated very near to the city of Aranjuez, in Arganda within Madrid wine region. Built using a Neoclassical style it maintains its impressive 250 meters long underground wine cellar. Bodega del Real Cortijo preserves intact both the Queen and the King Vaults, used to store the wine for each of the two monarchs at that time.
Grapes are hand-harvested and wines are matured in French oak barrels. One of our favourite wines from Bodega del Real Cortijo is the Homet Reserva 2006, a coupage of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Awarded with the Gold Medal ‘Bacchus de Oro’, Homet shows hints of leather on the nose and black cherries while on the palate one can observe pleasant balsamic notes along with round and powerful tannins. A wine to be enjoyed slowly and peacefully…
Located close to the town of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Las Moradas de San Martín is located within the San Martín sub-zone of Madrid wine region.
The Queen grape variety here is Garnacha, which was first found in the area in the XII Century. Moreover, there is written evidence stating that wines from San Martín were considered the best wines during the Spanish Golden Century (‘Siglo de Oro Español’).
Grapes are hand-harvested and follow a cold maceration. After the first fermentation, must undergoes the malolactic fermentation. Wine ages in 500 litters barrels.
One of the wines we are fond of at Las Moradas de San Martín is ‘La Sabina 2010’, organic wine made from 70 old year Garnacha vines, awarded with 90 points by Guía Peñín in 2010. Very expressive and mineral combining earthy notes along with black cherry marmalade. A real and definite wine pleasure!
Stunning organic vineyard surrounded by olive trees offering breath-taking views over Madrid wine region, specifically in the Arganda sub-zone! Plenty of aromatic plants such as lavender, rosemary and thyme complete the beautiful landscape scenery
Its owners Carlos and Estrella are devoted to produce environmentally friendly and respectful wines. Carlos started planted vines in 1992 and produced his first vintage in 2000.
Grapes are hand-harvested and fermentation is made at a controlled temperature of 28C. Bodega Qubél produces white and red wines with as little intervention as possible. French and American oak is used for maturation according to the vintage and the oenologist preferences for that specific year.
A wine you must try if you visit Bodegas Qubél is Mayrit Sauvignon Blanc (‘Mayrit’ being the ancient Arabic name for the city of ‘Madrid’). We tasted Mayrit Sauvignon Blanc 2013, wonderful aromas of zesty lemon, gooseberries and rosemary. Great unctuosity on the palate, fabulous acidity combined with mineral notes and a lovely lingering finish. The kind of wine you would love enjoying on its own, paired with creamy goat cheese or delicious seafood.
Definitely, Madrid has lots to offer beyond historic monuments, museums, delicious tapas and a vibrant nightlife. Here is just an example of the wineries you could visit within the Madrid Community (‘Comunidad de Madrid’). You can read read more about other Spanish Wine Regions in our post Top 5 Spanish Wine Regions for your holidays.
We also organise wine tours near Madrid to visit these wineries and several more within the Designation of Origin Vinos de Madrid. Browse our wine tours here and enjoy Spanish wines at their best only a few miles from Madrid!
