Madrid

Madrid

Barely an hour from the noise of the capital, Garnacha vines of more than eighty years live quietly on the granite slopes of the Sierra de Gredos.

Vinos de Madrid was long regarded as little more than a supplier of everyday wine to the city's taverns.

All that changed when a young generation of growers grasped what lay in front of them: vineyards at 600 to 1,200 metres, soils of granite weathered down to sand, and abandoned old vines of real worth.

Pale in colour, taut with acidity, limpid with the scent of wild strawberry and herbs — the reds of Gredos, sometimes called the Pinot Noir of Garnacha, draw more attention than any other style in Spain today.

Enjoy the treasure that lay sleeping at the capital's feet, alongside the cocido simmering in Madrid's bars, or a whole suckling pig from the oven.