Arnedillo: A bit of history and some wine

The last owner of Bodega Las Pedrolas produced wine in its cellar, in the most traditional way, until 2010. Its original name, “Bodega de las Canónigas,” symbolically connects us to the history of Arnedillo, whose lordship was held by the Bishopric of Calahorra from the 12th to the 19th century, providing the perfect starting point for our story.

Through the tale of Arnedillo’s history, its cultural and tourist resources, the traditional winemaking process in the Cidacos Valley, and our own story, we will savor (not merely taste) three wines from Rioja Oriental: a young white, a young red made using carbonic maceration, and a reserva red, paired with a selection of local products.

This circle of wine, history, and culture comes full circle with our own experience: how we came to produce wine in this cellar, using traditional methods, during the 2023 harvest.

The experience can be divided into three parts:

1. Introduction: Presentation of the location and explanation of the physical space where the experience takes place. Overview of the reasons behind this eno/ethno-tourism experience (tradition, oenology, and ethnography), along with a tour of the cellar.

2. Development: A storytelling segment that weaves together the history of Arnedillo, the Cidacos Valley, its cultural and tourist resources, and the traditional winemaking process. This is interspersed with the tasting of three wines from Rioja Oriental and an explanation of their unique characteristics and methods of production.

3. Conclusion: A snack time, finishing the wine tasting, and fostering camaraderie between guests and the owner.

This is not your typical winery visit. Here, you won’t find barrel halls, large tanks, or extensive wine racks. This experience is about sharing the history and winemaking culture of Arnedillo and the Cidacos Valley, through a tasting of Rioja Oriental wines, in a small family winery with an underground cellar carved into the earth, where wine has been made for generations for personal use.