Bodegas Aalto has the reputation of producing some of the finest wines in Ribera del Duero and Spain. Needless to say, I was excited to be introduced to their wines. Upon arrival in Ribero del Duero wine country our very first wine tasting was at Bodegas Aalto. As a backdrop to this wine story, I still remember that drive with Claire from San Sebastian to Peñafiel, and then onto Bodegas Aalto. The winery is located in the village of Quintanilla de Arriba, in Campo de Peñafiel region, in Valladolid, Spain, which is a short drive from Peñafiel. Here's to living the dream in Ribera del Duero wine country!
Ribera del Duero Travels with WineMine Friends © SpaswinefoodGiven we traveled in private vehicles from San Sebastian to Ribera del Duero this meant we need to meetup at the winery. Fortunately, Claire and I managed to pull into the parking lot with no time to spare. Don't you love how wine country travels are always filled with adventure?
Welcome to Bodegas Aalto
For sure my expectations were high for our first wine tasting at Bodegas Aalto. After all, Bodegas Aalto has the reputation of producing some of the finest wines. Mariano Garcia, renowned oenologist of the Bodegas Vega Sicilia, and Javier Zaccagnini, an expert in wine business management, founded the AALTO project in February 1999, in the Ribera del Duero. 2006, Masaveu and Nozaleda families joined AALTO, both are owners of wineries in other wine regions of Spain. 1999-2004 production of the wines took place in rented facilities in Roa (Burgos, Spain). They chose a winery location in the municipality of Quitanilla de Arriba (Valladolid). When the first phase of the winery was completed in 2005 the first harvest was produced in the new facilities. The second phase of the winery, the more social part of its operations, was finalized in 2016.
Now here we were about to experience some of the excitement of Bodegas Aalto. Before rushing in, I just had to take in the vineyard views.
First, we toured the winery.
After a brief overview we were off to the grape sorting and pressing area. Then onto the tanks and barrels.
Clearly, this modern winery has all the bells and whistles.
Tasting Bodegas Aalto Wines © Spaswinefood
While their 2020 wines are ready to drink now they will gain complexity over the years. I look forward to tasting more vintages of Aalto wines in the future. During our visiting I saw 2008 and other vintages on display.
Leaving Bodegas Aalto that day I paused to take in the Ribero Del Duero's spring time landscape.
After our Bodegas Aalto wine tasting it was off to lunch at Molino de Palacios in Peñafiel.
Molino de Palacios, Peñafiel
Over lunch we enjoyed some traditional Spanish foods with Ribera del Duero wines. After an exciting vine-filled day we checked into Hotel La Vida, and concluded the day with dinner at our hotel.
Welcome to Ribera del Duero Wine Country
Indeed, I had come to experience today's Ribera del Duero first hand. It was delightful to not only experience the spring time beauty of Ribera del Duero but also, learn about its long history and tradition of wine making.
Ribera del Duero DO is located in northern Spain's Castilla y León region. There on the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, along the sides of the Duero River, the wine region occupies the southern plains of Burgos province, extends west to Valladolid, and into parts of Segovia and Doris provinces. The appellation received DO status in 1982. In 2008, it was approved for Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) status however, it never pursued this classification, so it remains a DO appellation. It is one of Spain's best red wine regions. It is known for its Tempranillo (Tinto Fino), which is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec, up to 25 %. The appellation is almost exclusively red and rosado (rosé) wines. To be recognized as DO, its red wines must contain a minimum of 75 % Tempranillo. No more than 5 % Garnacha or Albillo, in total, may be added. Its Rosado wines must have a minimum of 50 % of the authorized red varieties. The white wine produced, mostly for local consumption, is Albillo. DO regulations require at least 75 % of Albillo grapes be used.
Bodegas Aalto Vineyard, Ribera del Duero © Spaswinefood
For sure Bodegas Aalto was a perfect kick-off to Ribera del Duero wine country. Everywhere our vine-filled explorations took us over our three-day visit, vineyards and poppies dotted the landscape.
Spring time was great timing to checkout the wines, the cuisine and admire the landscape, dotted with poppies. Next day, our wine country travels began at Pago de Carraovejas .
Wherever we travelled in Ribera Del Duero there were red poppies.
