Guide
The Wine Way: 3 Unmissable Wine Regions To Visit on El Camino
The Camino de Santiago is a great experience for you if you're a wine lover. Many of Spain’s best wine regions crisscross the northern parts of the country, so no matter what route you choose, you’ll be able to discover a wide range of wine varieties. In this post, your Camino Sherpa, Mariana, will expand on three of her favorite wine regions that you can visit while walking the Camino.
D.O. Rías Baixas
Three of the main Camino routes pass through the beautiful As Rías Baixas, a name that translates to “low rivers” and refers to the many estuaries that cover the south of Galicia and the north of Portugal. If you’re walking the Portuguese Way (either its Central or Coastal route), the Silver Way, or the Winter Way, you’ll go straight through the heart of Galicia’s white wine country.
The Albariño is the most extended and cultivated grape of the Rías Baixas. For the past decade, the elegant white wines produced in these vineyards have skyrocketed in popularity among both the Spanish and international palates. With peach and apricot notes, this light and tasty wine has a distinctive yellow straw-like color. Due to its light freshness and botanical aroma, we recommend pairing Albariño with fresh seafood (oysters), raw, high-quality fish (tuna or salmon sashimi), local traditional dishes (Galician-style octopus or lacón con grelos), white meats (saucy poultry dishes or roasted suckling pig), greasy fishes (pil-pil cod or kokotxas), and light-flavored white cheeses (Arzúa-Ullloa or goat tetilla).
Our Sommelier’s choice:
D.O. Bierzo
If you’re a red wine enthusiast walking the Silver Way or the French Way, you have to stop at the ancient wine region of el Bierzo. Situated in rural Castilla y León in the northwest of Spain, this remote mountainous area was relatively unknown to international wine drinkers but has recently gained worldwide popularity as the home to the Mencía grape. This delicious red variety is characterized by a potent red fruit aroma with floral hints, peppery notes, bright acidity, high alcohol content, an intense raspberry color, and smooth tannins that reflect the mineral richness of the area’s soil. If you’re into Pinot Noir, you’ll surely fall in love with the velvety freshness of the Mencía. It pairs well with the intense flavors of game meat (lamb or rabbit stew), cured cheeses (manchego or idazábal), cold cuts (cecina de León or acorn-fed Iberico ham), or wild mushrooms (boletus).
Are you more of a white wine person? Don’t worry, many of the Bierzo vineyards also produce the flavorful and elegant Godello, a dry and crisp modern wine that boasts a wide range of fruit flavors that pairs fantastically with fish or seafood-based dishes.
Our Sommelier’s choice:
D.O. Rioja
For more than 50 km, the route of the French Way passes through what’s probably the most famous Spanish wine region in the world: La Rioja. While the most widely cultivated grape in the area is the ubiquitous Tempranillo, the previously reviled Garnacha wines are going through an impressive revival among local vintners that has skyrocketed its popularity among red wine enthusiasts. Usually matured inside oak barrels, these robust wines have a strong fruity flavor and a spicy aftertaste. Their intense maroon color reflects mouth notes of ripe red fruits, plums, licorice, aniseed, prunes, and figs with some slight hints of nuts and coffee.
The versatility of the Garnacha makes it the perfect wine to marry with a wide variety of foods. Red game meats (roasted lamb or grilled steaks with mango chutney), white meats (duck with butter sauce or pork stew), strong cured cheeses (especially ones made with sheep milk), roasted vegetables (pepper or aubergine), complex salads (with nuts or chicken), pasta or risottos with meat, and even strong-tasting fishes (smoked sardines) can be enjoyed with a good bottle of this well-rounded wine.
Our Sommelier’s Choice
- Cerro la Isla Tinto by Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha
- Prado Enea Gran Reserva 2015 by Bodegas Muga
- La Dula Garnachas de Altura by Sierra de Toloño
With such a wide variety of high-quality wines on El Camino, you may be tempted to take some bottles with you to enjoy back home. Stuffing heavy glass bottles inside your walking backpack is not a practical solution, so how can you transport your precious treasure? Don’t worry, let us know about your intention when booking your package and we will make sure that you’re reunited with your wine bottles at the end of your journey in Santiago.