The great wine routes
La Rioja: the cradle of red wine
Haro (capital of Rioja), Briones, Laguardia, San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Historic wineries and avant-garde architecture by Frank Gehry at Marqués de Riscal. The Wine Battle of Haro every 29 June.
Ribera del Duero
Aranda de Duero with its underground wineries, Peñafiel and its castle converted into a wine museum, Roa de Duero. Powerful reds and suckling lamb.
Somontano (Aragon)
Alquézar, Barbastro, Bierge. Vineyards at the foot of the Pyrenees, modern wineries and spectacular canyons. The youngest D.O. but with top-level wines.
Penedès and Priorat (Catalonia)
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (cava capital), Vilafranca del Penedès. And Priorat: Gratallops, Porrera, Falset. Vineyards on impossible terraces, cult wines.
Jerez and the Marco (Cádiz)
Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, El Puerto de Santa María. The world's most complex solera wines: finos, olorosos, PX. Cathedral-wineries with centuries of history.
Tip: September-October is harvest time, the best time to visit. Many wineries require booking. Designate a driver or use the wine buses that operate on the main routes.