Gredos blends wine, landscape and new voices in its busiest festival yet

Over 400 wine lovers gathered in the stunning natural setting of the Valle de Iruelas Nature Reserve for Conectando Gredos, an event designed to showcase the work of small producers operating in one of central Spain’s most distinctive wine regions. Organised by the Cebreros Designation of Origin, the third edition of the event marked a new attendance record, featuring 40 producers not only from Ávila, but also neighbouring areas of Madrid and Toledo.

Rather than drawing boundaries, DO Cebreros once again showed its openness by inviting producers from other regions who share more than just geographical coordinates with Ávila. These winemakers are united by their mountain terroirs, the signature varieties Garnacha and Albillo Real, and a common approach to crafting micro-cuvées and small-batch, site-specific wines —all part of a collective effort to cement Gredos' place on the map of fine wine.

For a symbolic €5 entry fee, visitors could taste all the wines and received a straw hat —very welcome protection from the relentless sun— enjoying the relaxed, festive vibe of the day. Some brought their own picnic to enjoy in the shade of the park, while others opted for the locally sourced dishes served by Doña Filo, a restaurant from nearby Colmenar del Arroyo.

At the communal tables, spontaneous conversations flowed —like the one we had with 11-year-old Bruno (pictured below, with a yellow T-shirt), a charismatic and confident young lad who chatted about his love of Real Madrid and music (from techno to bossa nova), and the touching pride he feels for his family’s winery, Vinos Naturi. Founded by his parents, Laura and Raúl, in 2012 in pursuit of a better quality of life, the project seems to have its generational succession well in hand —a rare case in a region where the ageing of growers is an inevitable concern.

The day also included live music and a blind tasting competition that saw 30 participants test their sensory memory and palate. The winner, proudly crowned “Gredos Master of the Universe”, was Silvia Espuelas from Madrid.

We sampled many outstanding wines, including offerings from well-established producers like Comando G, who debuted in Conectando Gredos with three 2023 wines: La Bruja, Villanueva and Navatalgordo. Also present was Marañones —part of the Alma Carraovejas group since 2021—with winemaker Javier Blasco pouring three Garnachas and two Albillos from the 2022 vintage, along with a preview of Picuenco 2023, an Albillo grown at 900 metres on a north-facing slope near Peña Caballera, offering a distinctly saline profile.

Aitor Fernández represented the viticulture team from Pegaso, the Gredos project launched by Cía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez in 1999. And Bernabeleva showcased a broad, finely crafted range of whites and reds, with Arroyo del Tórtolas 2021 —a Garnacha from a north-facing plot at 820 metres— standing out for its finesse and elegance.

Among the many highlights, six wines and their producers (pictured in order below) particularly deserve a special mention:

Las Pedreras Linarejos 2024 (2,500 bottles, €28) – This Albillo Real from Bárbara Requejo gets a vibrant, electrifying twist thanks to a touch of manzanilla pasada, lending freshness and savoury depth to the grape’s natural opulence. For us, one of the most characterful whites in Gredos.

Viñadores de Gredos La Bota de Doré (800 bottles, €25) – Rubén Díaz, one of Gredos’ longest-serving yet under-recognised winemakers, crafts this wine from a solera of non-topped-up barrels brought from Sanlúcar. Made with the Chasselas variety, it delivers dry grass, ripe fruit and floral lift on a balanced, oxidative palate. A striking wine with echoes of the south.

Vino y Se Quedó Black Dog 2024 (530 bottles, €21) – This Cariñena, from 60-year-old vines grown at 700m in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, is the brainchild of Doreen Auerbach and Cristian Martín Mouat, the couple behind this new project called Vino y Se Quedó. They also make Garnacha from a vineyard they own in Cebreros, but their goal with Black Dog was to produce a fun, easy-drinking red —and they nailed it. Expect violets, blueberries, wild berries, and plenty of freshness and energy on the palate.

Antípoda Giant’s Playground 2024 (1,000 bottles, €22) – Pete James, a New Zealand geologist turned winemaker, settled in Gredos in 2023, drawn by its soils and Garnacha. His Roca Partida was his debut, but we were charmed by this juicy, agile whole-cluster Garnacha grown in decomposed granite soils in El Barraco. A fresh, lifted style due for release soon.

Alto Horizonte Alto de la Cruz 2021 (3,500 bottles, €32) – From granite and clay soils in Navatalgordo, this Garnacha by Aurelio García and Micaela Rubio is aged in concrete eggs to preserve its purity. Floral, wild, spicy and discreetly elegant, it’s a beautifully nuanced expression.

Rico Nuevo La Quebrá 2021 (800 bottles, €55) – From old vines planted in pink granite at 1,200 metres in Navatalgordo, this Garnacha is harvested mid-October, fermented with whole bunches in open amphorae and matured in concrete. Bursting with blood orange, spice and finesse, it’s long, persistent and remarkably refined. Juanan and Laura are the couple heading this project.