A Side Trip Into Wine Country
The steeples of Zamora’s many churches formed a picket line delineating Christian territory against medieval Moorish assaults. But the people of northern Spain erected an even more influential protective border—miles and miles of vineyards along the Río Duero. In the Christian religion, wine is the blood of salvation, but Islam prohibits its consumption. The vineyards were a clear line in the sand against invaders and conquerors: You shall come no further.
Spain’s religious affiliation was settled by force in 1492, but the vineyards remain. They may lack the liturgical urgency they bore a millennium ago, but they probably make better wine these days. Zamora, located atop the ridgeline over the Río Duero, is a perfect staging ground for quick visits to three of Spain’s important wine districts. Arrange your visits in advance if possible; not all wineries permit drop-ins.
The closest district, D.O. Toro, centers on the medieval city of Toro, a 40-minute drive east of Zamora on the A-11. After the Castilian kings took back Iberia from the Moors, they claimed the reconquered turf around Toro by planting vineyards. Building on those first 11th-century plantings, Toro has become the heart of its own D.O. wine district, source of some powerful red wines. Ever since scientific winemakers in the 1980s began to tame the powerful tinto de Toro grape (an ancient strain of Tempranillo), the biggest names in Spanish viticulture have flocked here to establish vineyards.
On the way to Toro (actually, on its western outskirts), Bodega Valbusenda (Carretera de Toro a Peleagonzalo) offers tastings and winery tours as part of a wine resort complex.
Downtown Toro’s single main street is lined with shops offering tastings and selling the local wines—so many that if you’re not careful, you’ll be woozy by the time you get to the 13th-century Colegiata church, officially Santa María la Mayor, on Plaza Santa María (tel. 696-13-16-61; summer Tues–Sun 10:30am–2pm and 5–7:30pm, winter Tues–Sun 10am–2pm and 4:30–6:30pm). Note that you enter the church from the rear (4€ admission except during Mass, 3€ seniors), mostly because the main entrance, the Pórtico de la Majestad (Portal of Majesty), is one of Spain’s most magnificent examples of Gothic stone carving; you have to go through the church and back out to view it. The carved figures of the Last Judgment—all still painted in sun-blasted pastels—reveal something of the carver’s theology: First to be saved, even before the Virgins and the Martyrs, are the musicians.
If you want to visit area wineries, go to the website of the D.O. Viños de Toro office for a list of addresses and contact info. You can also visit in person at Calle Isaías Carrasco, 4.
A half-hour east of Toro on the A-11 and A-6, the village of Rueda is headquarters for D.O. Rueda, home of some of the best white wines in Spain. Two grapes are especially important here: verdejo and sauvignon blanc. Some cellars in town date from the 12th century, but in the late 1970s, rediscovery of the verdejo grape and the introduction of controlled cold fermentation rocketed Rueda’s whites to world-class status. Late in the 20th century, growers reintroduced sauvignon blanc to the area—ironic, considering that genetic evidence suggests the grape originated here before it was taken to France. Several bodegas have shops along the main street of Rueda, but to get a more complete picture of the town’s historic winemaking, reserve ahead to visit Bodegas Antaño Mocén, Calle Arribas, 7–9 (tel. 659-954-945). Its 400- to 500-year-old cellars stretch 2.5 miles (4km) underground; the winery itself is a model of stainless-steel tanks and computerized controls. (You can get a preview of the underground passages through a virtual tour on the website.) The on-site shop does a tasting of wines ranging from fresh young whites to elegant verdejos aged in French and American oak.
About an hour further east along the Río Duero (take the scenic CL-610, CL-600, and N-122), Peñafiel is the de facto capital of the D.O. Ribera del Duero. Since the turn of the 21st century, the region has rivaled—some say surpassed—D.O. Rioja as the source of Spain’s best red wines. Small outlets for major producers abound; the tourist office at Plaza Coso, 31-32 (tel. 98-388-15-26) is a good source of information. Its website provides links to more than 70 wineries that welcome visits.
The remarkable Peñafiel castle—which looks like a great ark marooned on a hilltop—is home to the Museo Provincial del Vino (tel. 98-388-11-99; 6.60€ admission by advance reservation). The museum recounts wine history, winemaking techniques, and the finer points of appreciating local wines. A tasting (Saturday and Sundays only) is 10€.
