Ancient calados in Ollauri, in the bowels of La Rioja
By Rebeca Serna, VIAJEROS 3.0
You are probably wondering what is a caladoand the explanation is very simple. It is an underground cellar, with constant humidity and temperature, which is used to age and store wines. A prosaic definition that fails to capture the beauty, the centuries of history or the efforts of our ancestors.
Prepare yourself to be transported to the most spectacular calados in La Rioja, and arguably, in Spain: the Conde de los Andes calados in Ollauri.
Bodega Ollauri-Conde de los Andes welcomes us to its elegant building in the historic quarter of Ollauri. It is a small and beautiful village in La Rioja Alta. Nothing on its beautiful surface reveals the treasure underneath our feet. An astonishing maze of seemingly endless passages and corridors.
The calados of Ollauri, formerly owned by Paternina, are said to be unique in La Rioja. The scale of the place strengthens such thought. We are talking about tunnels that were excavated over many centuries and across more than one kilometre in length. The oldest date back from the 15th century and traces of Mudéjar style are visible on the arcades. Isn?t it remarkable? One can almost feel the centuries of history and the evolution of an element that has always been associated to this community: wine.
What?s most striking about the calados is that they were excavated with picks and shovels, and reinforced with ashlar and brick arches. The ingenuity and accomplishment of the people from Rioja are evident in this highly valued heritage jewel. It not only looks its best for visitors but also fulfills its function: ageing Rioja wines.
As you see, visiting Conde de los Andes is a unique opportunity. As special as the hundreds of thousands of dusty bottles piled on the corridors. At first sight, this heritage appears to have lost its value as it faded into oblivion. Nothing further from the truth. Time is the only thing that cannot be bought and these wines are priceless nowadays. Wouldn?t it be amazing to take a bottle home?!
Muriel Wines, discovering the essence of wine
By Mónica Ferreiro, El VIAJE DE SOFI
Wine is one of my passions: I love it, I adore it, I revel in it. I love sipping on my glass of red wine after dinner, on a chilled white as an aperitif or on a fruity rosé as the sun sets. I love tasting and enjoying wine, but I also like experiencing it where it is born, in the vines, in the wineries where it is made. I?m going to tell you about my wine tourism experience in Ollauri and the extraordinary Muriel Wines.
A large share of their production is sold internationally, but that?s something that is gradually changing. In recent times, some of their wines have been listed on the menus of prestigious restaurants like DiverXO by chef David Muñoz. Step by step, they are working to get a foothold in the domestic market. Conde de los Andes is the only winery in the group to welcome visitors. I have considerable experience in this type of tours and I can assure you that Ollauri was one of the most fun and interesting. Conde de los Andes opened for visitors in 2015. Tours are restricted to groups of 12 people, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you want to discover these surprising calados in Ollauri, my advise is to book early as there is a waiting list, particularly in spring and autumn.
This labyrinth houses 450,000 historic bottles of wine that are not for sale. They only leave the cellar on rare trips like the one to DiverXO. There are 30-, 40- and 50-year-old bottles. One piece of advice: bring a cardigan with you -the temperature remains unchanged throughout the year; always at 13ºC for a correct storage. However, vests are always on hand for unprepared visitors.
Rioja, the beautiful land of wine and songs
By Patri Rojas, LA COSMOPOLILLA
Hold your glass. Close your eyes. Inhale. A sip. Swirl gently. Smell and taste again. ?What does this wine remind you of??I self-consciously say ?Spring?. I?m tasting a chilled rosé that reminds me of the time when flowers burst as the sun comes out after the long winter. ?How about some music??? La vie en rose. Musical notes to celebrate the joy of life -it?s true that wine makes us happy. ?Spain is the beautiful country of wines and songs,? wrote Goethe. This sentence becomes obvious as you walk among vines, tasting and visiting wineries in La Rioja, the quintessential wine region! This is my report after a weekend tasting the wines of Muriel Wines, art in a glass bottle. Would you like to join me?
On a sunny Saturday at the end of summer I head towards Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. The Castilian fields are left behind as I travel through a long valley of vineyards on slopes. They are green and bursting with grapes today: the harvest approaches. The location is not fortuitous. The mountains to the north protect it from the Atlantic winds; to the south, the Sierra de la Demanda shields the cold from the Castilian steppe. As a result, this inland region, traversed by the shiny blue Ebro river, enjoys a microclimate not unlike the Mediterranean, which is ideal to grow grapes, specially Tempranillo.
Our first stop is in Ollauri, Rioja Alta. A small village with stone houses crowned by red roofs and subterranean bodegas. Like others in the region, it is devoted to wine. We head towards Conde de Los Andes, one of the most renowned historic bodegas in La Rioja and a legacy of the Paternina estate. Its name honours the origins of the family: the first Count of the Andes received this title from King Ferdinand VII for his services to the crown in the Americas.
The Conde de Los Andes property extends along corridors housing Reserva wines, which are only sold on special occasions, some dating back over half a century. Purchased by the Murúa family, owner of Muriel Wines, guided tours for groups of 12 people were launched three years ago. What?s the most special experience? Wandering through the calados in the quiet, dimmed light, discovering their history before enjoying a delicious wine tasting paired with Iberico products underthe soft glow of candlelight.
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