Nº 04·Primavera 2026·Enoturismo del mundo hispano
Nº 01·Wine tasting near Madrid
40.4168°N · 3.7038°W
Madrid is the obvious base for wine trips into central Spain. Sierra de Gredos garnacha producers (Marañones, Comando G) are a 60-90 minute drive west; Ribera del Duero is two hours north; Rioja three hours northeast. The city itself has world-class wine bars (try Angelita, Vinoteca Moratín, Lavinia for retail) and a well-developed restaurant scene that pairs every regional Spanish wine you can name. Most US and UK travelers arrive at Barajas (MAD) and head out on day trips with a driver service — Spain has near-zero tolerance for drinking and driving, and a hired car for the day runs €150-250.
By Mateo Iriarte·Editor
Updated · May 3, 2026
Nº 01·30 min – 2 h
Madrid · Vinos de MadridNº 01
Marañones is one of those projects you hear about in lowered voices among people who follow Sierra de Gredos garnacha. Fernando García started in 2008 with old vines (40-80 years) in Pelayos de la Presa, granite soils and elevations up to 900 meters. Clean-fruited wines with surprising freshness and fine tannins — closer to a Burgundian concept than to the stereotype of powerful garnacha.
Nº 02·Getting there
Madrid has an international airport (Barajas, MAD), AVE high-speed rail to most of Spain, and a dense metro network. For winery visits: nearly every winery worth visiting requires a car or driver service (Spain has zero tolerance for drinking and driving — the legal limit is 0.25 mg/L breath alcohol, half the US limit). Private driver service for a wine day runs €150-250. RENFE Cercanías commuter trains reach a few Sierra de Gredos towns but it's not the easy option. For Ribera del Duero or Rioja day trips, take the AVE to Valladolid or Logroño and rent from there.
Nº 03·What to do
Madrid is Madrid: the Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen, Retiro park, the bars of Conde Duque, the terraces of Malasaña, San Miguel market (touristy but still pleasant first thing in the morning). For wine specifically: Lavinia (Europe's largest wine store, on Ortega y Gasset street), Vinoteca Moratín in the Letras quarter, Angelita in Conde Duque for serious by-the-glass tastings, and Taberna de la Daniela in Plaza de Chueca for cocido madrileño paired with red wine — probably the most representative Madrid food-and-wine combination there is. Big annual wine fairs include the Vinos de Madrid showcase in May.
Nº 04·Local food
Cocido madrileño (chickpea-and-meat stew served in three courses — Sunday food, best at old places like Lhardy or Malacatín), bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich, a Madrid tradition that survives at La Campana or Bar Postas near Sol), serious tortilla de patatas (Sylkar or Casa Dani), tripe in tomato sauce, grilled pig ear, churros with chocolate (San Ginés is obvious but works). For tapas: La Latina on Sundays, Cava Baja anytime. Serious wine bars: Angelita, La Carmencita, Bodegas Rosell.
Nº 05·Preguntas
Madrid · Vinos de MadridNº 02
Comando G is the project that changed the conversation around Sierra de Gredos garnacha. Daniel Landi and Fernando García work tiny plots (some under one hectare), vines that cling to granite at 900-1,200 meters, and produce wines now sold internationally as a benchmark for the variety. Visits are difficult to arrange — production is small, slots are few — but worth the effort for anyone who wants to understand what Spanish garnacha can become.