Madrid is not just the capital of Spain and a highly popular tourist destination; it also has a wine region with a growing reputation.
Today the Madrid wine region is small: the vineyard area is just less than 8,000 hectares, which is tiny when you compare it to a region such as Rioja with 60,000 hectares. At the beginning of the 20th century Madrid’s vineyards extended over 80,000 hectares, but the intervening years have seen the city expand dramatically – Barajas airport is situated on land that was once vineyards – and large wine-producing areas have been lost.
In 1990, after a period of research and development that steered producers towards bottled red wines from grapes well-suited to the region, Madrid gained the all-important Denominación de Origen seal of approval. Since 1991 the Vinos de Madrid logo has featured on the back label of wines that meet DO quality requirements.
An early start pays off and I’m soon on my way down the A3 heading towards Arganda, the nearest and largest of the region’s three sub-zones, located around 50km from the capital to the south-east. The land here is fairly flat and arid, and industry gradually gives way to olive trees and vineyards.
Arganda is now practically an extension of the capital. The metro ends at the town of Arganda del Rey (line 9) and new rows of houses rub shoulders with family bodegas such as Vinos Jeromín. Run by brothers Gregorio and Manuel Martínez Chacón, the fourth generation of the family, Jeromín’s wines are a good example of what can be found in the Madrid region. White wines include a fine example of the local malvar grape (Puerta del Sol label), a particularly food-friendly wine, which is aged in French oak.
“The whites are more work that the reds,” says Gregorio, pointing to a barrel as we tour the cellar. “We have to do batonnage (stirring the yeast sediment) every day until February”. A sniff of the sweet-smelling must in the barrel convinces me that this is a good vintage in the making, however.
The red wines are made from tempranillo, cabernet, syrah and merlot from vineyards in Arganda. Jeromín also sources garnacha grapes from the Navalcarnero and San Martín sub-zones, the traditional strongholds for this variety, for wines such as Grego Garnacha Centenaria, the name of which means 100-year-old vines.
Several things impress me about this bodega, but particularly the way that the wines combine the best of tradition and local character with modern style. The former comes from the vineyards and the climate, as well as winemaking aspects such as the use of traditional earthenware tinajas for partial fermentation of the red wines, and the latter from modern winemaking techniques and a determination to keep up with the times.
For other producers in the region, tours and tastings are very much part of what they do. They include Bodegas Jesús Díaz, another family business at the charming town of Colmenar de Oreja. Antonio Díaz showed me the intriguing ancient underground caves where his wines age over the winter, including traditional-method sparkling wines. His wife Consuelo organises wine tastings and catering arrangements for visitors, and you can stock up with wines and local food products at the bodega shop.
Alongside long-established bodegas, dynamic new ventures are springing up and they are helping to get the region noticed. These producers are investing in new vineyards, featuring neat rows of trellised vines, irrigation and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment. They also tend to break with tradition when it comes to the choice of grape varieties, and are more likely to plant French varieties.
In the case of Señorío de Val Azul at Chinchón, the owners chose to plant cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and a small amount of tempranillo over 8 hectares. The vines were planted in 1999 and the first vintage was made in 2005.
The immaculate barrel room here contains rows of French oak barrels – various origins, toasts and sizes – and the two wines, Señorío de Val Azul (all four grapes) and Fabio (cabernet and syrah) are assembled according to how each barrel tastes. “The blend is important, and we follow a Bordeaux philosophy but we’re still learning. It’s important for the wines to have personality,” says Dani Jiménez-Landi, one of the consultant winemakers in this impressive venture.
Until recently most of the attention was focused on the sub-zones of Arganda and neighbouring Navalcarnero. The third region, San Martín, in the south-western corner was largely overlooked (Jeromín being an exception) despite its striking, unspoilt mountain scenery, old vine garnacha and fresher climate.
This is changing rapidly. Thanks to new investment, a group of forward-looking winemakers who have cut their teeth in other regions are receiving the backing of their employers, as well as working on their own projects. San Martín is now the source of some wines of great personality, thanks to renewed interest in low-yielding old vines and modern winemaking techniques. The rising stars are Bodegas Bernabeleva, Viñedos de San Martín and Bodega Marañones, and there will be more to come.
Further information
Other producers of note
Viñas El Regajal; Bodega Luis Saavedra; Gosálbez Orti; Bodegas Tagonius; El Rincón; Bodegas Licinia and Bodegas Nueva Valverde.
Best times to visit
- May, June and early autumn.
Where to find Madrid wines in the city:
- Hotel Urban: A modern, 5-star hotel with a roof-top terrace. 34, Carretera de San Jerónimo www.derbyhotels.com
- Zaranda restaurant: Upmarket restaurant with modern cuisine. 5, Paseo de Eduardo Dato www.zaranda.es
- Lavinia: A sizeable modern wine shop and restaurant. 16, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset www.lavinia.es
- Taberna del Alabardero: Good quality traditional food in classic Spanish surroundings. 6, Felipe V wwwgrupolezama.es
- Bodegas Rosell: A typical bar-restaurant with a good choice of Madrid wines. 14, Calle General Lacy www.bodegasrosell.com
- Mercado San Miguel: Wine bars and gourmet food near the Plaza Mayor, www.mercadodesanmiguel.es
Hotels in the winelands
- Complejo la Cigüeña: Stylish new complex near Arganda del Rey, www.complejolaciguena.com
- Parador de Chinchón: A former monastery and one of the most scenic parador hotels, 1, Calle de Los Huertos www.paradores.es
Restaurants in the winelands
- Arcos de la Corredera: A restaurant with local character at San Martín de Valdeiglesias. 28. Corredera Alta www.arcoscorredera.com
- 13, Benito Hortelano www.cuevasdelvino@cuevasdelvino.com
Cellar tours and wine shops
- Bodega Gosálbez Orti, Pozuelo del Rey (Arganda). Tours, tastings and special events by appointment. See: www.bodegagosalbezorti.com
- Bodega Jesús Diaz, Colmenar de Orega. Shop, tours and restaurant. See www:bodegasjesusdiaz.com