HI,

Although I have not visited any wineries in Madrid. You won’t find the wineries inside of the city so you’ll have to travel a little outside. Here is a website where you can find the zones and wineries. It is in English and Spanish. I hope this helps! Have a great trip!

http://www.vinosdemadrid.es/eng/seccion04.htm

Also, in the Plaza Sol, ask around for the tapas strip. Its small street with the best tapas in town!

I was in Madrid 20 years ago as a student. “Let’s Go” was my reference for all my excursions. I was not a wine drinker so I didn’t bother. I only remember a wild night in Salamanca in late August where they were giving the vino out for free. Oh, they also have wine in a box—not very stuff.

Research on the internet:

http://www.walksofspain.com/

http://www.cellartours.com/spain/spanish-cities/madrid.html

http://www.gomadrid.com/wine/

Use Google Earth and anything else you can find on the internet. This stuff didn’t exist when I was a poor student, so make sure you take advantage of it!

You will love Spain. Go to the Prado, Valley of the Fallen, and take a two hour drive to Toledo. You will not regret it.

I can’t help on wine. More generally I found http://www.spottedbylocals.com/madrid/ very useful.

It depends what you like but if you fancy a real trip out, a ride to Los Cotos via Cercedilla and then a walk in what should be dazzling autumn colours would be my choice.

I have been several times in Spain and the more I ago the more I loved it. By far and the best wine area of Spain is in LA RIOJA. It might be about 3.5 hours from Madrid. I will recomend to experience the real Spain to go there and experience the charm of those small medieval wine towns. (HARO town is amazing and Briones also )Madrid is wonderfull but the real Spain is not in it city full of the same shops you could find in any other cosmopolitan city.

I will suggest to go check this LA RIOJAWINEESTATESLINK full or recomendattions for the area.

http://www.lariojaturismo.com/sugerencias/index.php

I recommend to vissit the DINASTIAVIVANCOMUSEUM in Briones town , is ment to be by far the biggest and more comprehensive wine museum in the world and Briones town is amazing.

If you have to stick on the plan to stay in Madrid. You can visit this little know towns to get a real feel of Spain.

1) SORIA town, Its an amazing mid size city , 1.5 -2 hours of Madrid. its esay to go there by bus , just ask where to take the bus there. The have amazing medieval and romamesque churches, the Duero River Cross the city and theres a Church inside a rock in the caynon near the Duero River, and then a abandon monastery all by walking distance. This by far is an off beaten track, daily tour.

2) CUENCATOWN, this is a town in the mountain risk , its a UNESCO wolrd heritage place (2.5 hours from madrid )

3) AVILA, the most amazing preserved walled medieval town, its super interesting to walk and get lost in their small streets . It like 1 hour or so away from Madrid. Even is a short distance is worth to star the night over in the old quarter there to experience the city when the turist flood return to madrid.

The most turistic . Day trips

1) TOLEDO, easy day trip 1 hour away , nice , but very turistic.

2) EL ESCORIAL, Spain Royal Castle.

3) Salamanca ,maybe 3 hours away . Nice medieval university town a lot of party is better to stay the night. If you´re not into party this town is not worth.

4) SEGOVIA, a nice town, with a ROMAN ruins, like 1.5 hour away.

If you can change and not stay the whole time in madrid I will recommend.

3 days Madrid

1 Day trip to Escorial Castle.

Rent a car and go up to Soria town , stay the night there and explore near by towns like (CALATAÑAZOR, Molinos del Duero, Burgo de Osma, Vinuesa and vist the LAGUNANEGRANATIONALPARK ). THISTOWNSTAKELIKE 1 HOUR OR LESS TO KNOWTHEM, is more like a road trip. The next day departure to LOGRONO la Rioja capital (1 hour aprox from Soria)and from there with the web site I gave you design the tour. i HIGHLLY recomend to visit HAROCITYWINERIES. and the Vivanco Museum . Also theres a Winery in EL CIEGO, design by the famous modern achitect FRANKGERY . Here is the link :

http://www.marquesderiscal.com/index.php

From the wine country of La Rioja you could visit the Basque country to Bilbao , like 2 hours or so away to vist the Guggenheim museum then you could drive to Pamplona the bull city, or drove down to Zaragoza a nice spanish traditional city and then back to Madrid. Dont be scarry about renting a car I have drove there and its super safe and easy, ask for a GPS device.

i hope this help you. let me know if you have some questions.

Manuel

www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/

malaga (south) is known best for the wine and tapas, while your down south visit the ahlhambra!

Is wineries are your passion you should definitely come to Porto, Portugal :D