Uncover the best wine tasting Madrid has to offer

Madrid, capital of Spain, is one of Europe’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities, and boasts some of the liveliest nightlife in the world. It possesses the largest number of bars per capita of any European city and offers plenty of opportunity for wine tasting. Madrid’s many tapas and wine bars are a wonderful way to sample wines from all around Spain and mix with the locals.

Madrid wine tasting is the perfect way to explore Spain’s capital

Main thoroughfares, such as the Gran Via and Paseo de la Castellana are lined with both traditional and trendy bars where you can sample local specialities and sip Rioja and Cava. Historic taverns hidden away down back streets serve up tasty cold meats, cheeses and olives to enjoy with your Sherry.Simply enjoy a glass of crisp Verdejo or Albariño after wandering the streets around Plaza Mayor, the arcaded square in Madrid’s historical centre, strolling in the green lungs of the city, El Retiro Park, or looking for bargains in Rastro, Madrid’s oldest and best-known street market.  Or, alternatively let Wine Paths local experts organise exclusive Madrid wine tasting experiences for you.

Mediaeval churches and squares brush shoulders with cosmopolitan new architecture, lifestyle and culture

There’s plenty to discover in Madrid, whether it’s historic architecture such as the Royal Palace, art in the El Prado or fresh produce in the indoor market Mercado de San Miguel and Madrid wine tasting is the perfect way to relax afterwards and soak up the local atmosphere.

Explore neighbouring wine regions

If you’d like to escape the city and travel to the country for wine tasting, Madrid is well placed for accessing some of the country’s most exciting wine regions. Castilla y Leon boasts some of Spain’s most up-and-coming wine regions, which easily accessible on a day trip from Madrid. Wine Paths local experts can help you put together your Madrid wine tasting itinerary.

Visit the capital of Ribera Del Duero, Aranda de Duero, and explore its series of interconnecting, antique wine cellars, before tasting its deeply coloured Tempranillo-based wines. Tour one of its many top-class wineries and indulge in some renowned brands.Discover Toro, the region named after its capital, Toro, an ancient settlement on the river Duero - Toro incidentally means ‘bull’ in Spanish - and taste its powerful reds also made from the Tempranillo grape, here known as Tinta da Toro. Or sample the pink Toro Rosado made from Garnacha or the refreshing Toro Blanco from Malvasia Blanca and Verdejo.

Get off the beaten track back up the Duero in the white wine country of Rueda, where its fresh, aromatic wines are the ideal complement to the heavy reds of its neighbouring Toro. Produced from at least 50% Verdejo and blended with small amounts of neutral Viura (aka Macabeo) and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, the wines are crisp and aromatic. Make sure you also taste the local sparkling, Rueda Espumoso and try the Rueda Palido, aged under flor and similar to dry fino Sherry in style.Or head south to Castilla-La Mancha, the region most famous for its Manchego cheese and literary character Don Quixote, where a winemaking revolution is taking place, transforming the old image of this hot region. Traditionally known as a source of low-quality bulk wine, new winemaking technologies and maturation techniques are starting to up the game of this dusty area.

If you have any energy left when you return from your wine tasting, Madrid’s Chueca district, full of new design and trendy shops as well as plenty of cool cafés and bars, is a perfect way to linger till the early hours.

Whether you are looking for Madrid wine tasting in the city or in its neighbouring wine regions, Wine Paths’ local experts will help you design your perfect experience.

 

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