The Most Surprising White Wine Region of 2024

I'd visited Madrid in the past as the ending city to wrap up a wine trip, the most convenient location of an international airport in order to get home. My limited experience there didn't even scratch the surface, but I carried an interest from years prior when I first tasted wines from the Vinos de Madrid Denominación de Origen (DO). When given the opportunity to get back to Madrid and explore the wine region surrounding the historic city, I came into it with open eyes and a large thirst. Purposefully, I did no research, otherwise I may have allowed myself to grow bias. I'm so glad I took this approach. What I found surprised me.

When was the last time you tasted Albillo Blanco or Melbar? No, not Malbec. Melbar. Your mind may go to a specific place when the idea of Spanish wine is brought up. Cava, Albariño, Rioja,Ribera del Duero, Garnacha, Sherry...all viable thoughts! And when you visit Madrid, you're unlikely to think of wine visits as an obvious way to spend your time while in the city. But I am here to tell you...the white wines of Vinos de Madrid are by far the most surprising white wines of 2024.

My first visit was to Las Moradas de San Martín, where on property they have Albillo Real dating back to 1908, and Garnacha vines dating back 80-100 years. The property as it stands today was founded in 1999, with guidance from the Spanish wine legend Telmo Rodríguez to oversee the new plantations and care for the old vines. During my visit we tasted both a young version of the Albillo Real grown in 2022, as well as a 2011 made from the oldest block of the vineyard dating back to 1908. It was my first taste of the unique variety of Albillo Blanco, and a serious beacon of what was to come.

My second winery visit was to Bodegas Jesus Diaz to meet Antonio Torresano and his son Antonio Jr. just one hour's drive to the east of Madrid. This is where I had my first encounter with MELBAR! Melbar...chef's kiss. What a revelation! This is a white grape you must discover. They didn't know prior to my visit, but they planned to open a bottle of 1983 Melbar from their cellar, and that's my birth year. I couldn't believe my eyes, the coincidence was too strong. It had notes of honey, almond, brioche, strong minerality and rosemary. It tasted like history.

Their 2023 Melbar had lots of pear, green apple, exuded so much fresh minerality and really called for a dozen oysters! I'd call this wine a much more interesting experience than you get from an average Verdejo. Less grassy, more fresh. They also made sparkling wine from Melbar, which further blew my mind and made me fall in love with the variety.

My last visit was to Bodegas Valquejigoso, a Château style winery on a 1,000 hectare property that was first established in 1986. Today there are 30 hectares of grapevines planted, and the original family who purchased the property owned restaurants in Madrid and used the opportunity to produce wines exclusively for their outlets. The next phase of developing the property was done via vineyard expansion with vines that were planted in 1994, with a serious focus on protecting the Albillo Real old vines. Sadly in 2023 it rained so much so quickly that they lost entire crop, and no wine made in 2023. They produce 4 wines: 1 white, 3 red. I fell in love with the 2017 Mirlo Blanco 100% Albillo Real, which drank like a white burgundy or white rioja, and benefited from oak aging in their gorgeous barrel cellar.

You can easily book a rental car out of Madrid and drive yourself to these incredible wineries, but you can also book a VIP tour from ME! Madrid Experience. They can tailor day trips or multiple-day visits to Vinos de Madrid DO. The Garnacha will blow your mind, but my biggest revelation of 2024 so far is how stunning the white wines from this region are. Vinos de Madrid is by far the most surprising white wine region in the world for me. Salud!