Wineries in Cantabria: A New Chapter in Spanish Wine
Spain needs no introduction when it comes to wine. It has been making it for thousands of years, and its great regions are known the world over. Cantabria is not usually on that list, which is exactly what makes it so rewarding right now.
Across the region, a handful of small producers are making wines you will rarely find outside northern Spain. They are fresh, characterful and very much of this place. I came across several of them through Slow Food Cantabria, the collective that brings together producers from across the region to promote their local produce. Their directory at De Granja en Granja is a good place to start if you like to eat and drink your way around a new area.
Why Cantabria suits white wine
Cantabria's green landscape comes from its Atlantic climate: mild, damp and cooled by the sea. That favours white varieties, which keep their acidity and freshness in these conditions. The results pair beautifully with the fish, seafood and local cheeses that make up so much of Cantabrian cooking.
If you are thinking about moving here, or already have, visiting local wineries is one of the most enjoyable ways to get to know the region. Here are three I would happily recommend.
Bodegas Vidular: sleep among the vines
At Bodegas Vidular in Bárcena de Cicero, the winery experience extends to a night's stay. The rural accommodation is an eighteenth-century stone house in the traditional Cantabrian style, surrounded by five hectares of vineyard. Imagine falling asleep among the vines with the sea not far off in the distance.
Their white wines have won recognition too. Ribera del Asón took first prize at the Enobar of Madrid Fusión in 2013, and Cantabricus is well worth trying alongside it. Both are made with the local seafood in mind.
Orulisa: old vines in the Liébana valley
Tucked into the Liébana valley, Orulisa is best known as an orujo distillery. In recent years it has also turned to wine, releasing its first bottling from the 2016 harvest. The wines come from the family's own vineyard and from small plots of old vines, between 60 and 100 years old, on steep mountain slopes. The family has been recovering these plots, and since 2018 they have been recognised as "heroic viticulture", a status reserved for vineyards so high and so steep that everything must be done by hand.
This is wine-making on a very small scale, carrying on a local tradition that might otherwise have faded.
Bodega Bahía de Santander: finish with the view
If I were rounding off a day of winery visits, I would make my last stop in Ribamontán al Mar, at Bodega Bahía de Santander. After the visit, you can taste the wines in their wine bar, which looks out over the bay. It is a lovely spot to watch the sun go down.
They focus on two white grapes, Godello and Riesling, and the wines are fresh and delicate. Their Santa Marina, a blend of the two, is a good place to begin.
Understated, but always surprising
I have explored a great many wineries across Spain, and I never tire of discovering new wines, especially ones that match the food of the place they come from. Cantabrian wine does exactly that. Like the region itself, it can be understated, but it is always surprising, with real depth in its local produce and a lot to discover once you start looking.
Cantabria will always win you over.
Thinking about making the move to Cantabria? Book a free 15-minute call and we'll talk through what a relocation would look like for you.
