The “El Plantío” winery complex is located in the Hondo area, at the foot of the village of Atauta, a district of San Esteban de Gormaz, in the Ribera del Duero region of Soria. This village is located on a rocky ledge at an altitude of 970 metres, separated from the winery complex by the Arroyo de la Laguna or Golbán stream.

The bodegas are underground constructions whose purpose was the storage and conservation of wine. They generally consisted of an inclined gallery or canyon that led through stairs to a room for storing the wine. The excavation of the underground galleries was carried out using impermeable clay soils and gently sloping hillsides, which facilitated the work and guaranteed the evacuation of water by natural fall and allowed a stable temperature throughout the year.

“El Plantío’ consists of a total of 141 cellars, plus communal wine presses and other complementary constructions, occupying an area of approximately three hectares. According to the preserved inscriptions, the winery complex was built for the most part during the 19th century, reaching its maximum development in the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, driven by the significant demand for wine produced in France due to the phylloxera plague. The origin of the decline occurred in the second half of the 20th century due to the economic and social changes that took place.

In 2017 it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) with the category of“Ethnological Ensemble” due to its extension and number of wineries, wine presses and related elements, its good state of conservation and, in particular, its unique layout and implantation in the territory.

In addition, its “restoration and musealisation” was awarded the Prize for Best Practices in Historic and Ethnological Sites of Castilla y León 2020 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castilla y León.

This unique site has been, among others, the setting for the film “El niño Dios” (Ignacio Ortiz, 2019) and the cover of the “Top 100 Ribera del Duero 2019” by the Master of Wine, Tim Atkin.

VISITS to ATAUTA’s UNDERGROUND WINERIES:

• There are currently no visits open to the public to these cellars.
• Most of these underground cellars belong to private individuals and associations.