Underground wineries and traditional wines “El Cotarro”

Moradillo de Roa, Burgos, Castilla y León.

Dating of the building: 16th -20th century.

Applicant: Javier Arroyo Rincón, Mayor of Moradillo de Roa.

Reason for the award :

The jury found this to be a marvellous example of responding to rural decline; the conservation of this cultural landscape, both tangible and intangible, has ensured the preservation of the underground presses, as well as the revitalization of traditional viticulture techniques.

In Moradillo de Roa, there are 193 neighbours and almost the same number of wineries. The recovery of El Cotarro has been due exclusively to neighbourhood participation and the collaboration of volunteers.

El Cotarro, an 18,000m2 ethnological complex, is made up of 157 underground cellars and 7 caves carved in stone whose first records date from the year 1550. The comprehensive protection programme carried out by the residents of the municipality has reversed the poor state of conservation of the wineries and allowed the rehabilitation of the cultural landscape and the recovery of traditional winemaking methods.

With the support of the Moradillo de Roa Town Council, a commission was created for the maintenance and conservation of the wineries, which has revalued El Cotarro. This revitalization of the rural environment has been possible thanks to awareness campaigns on social networks, the creation of audiovisual material, the fitting-out of an exhibition hall, and the launch of guided tours during which visitors, in addition to learning traditional winemaking methods, can taste the wine made in the El Tercio winery (1736).

Others awards in Castilla y León: