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ROUTES BY THE SOMONTANO
Other routes:
The Wine Route
Somontano produces wines of excellent quality, due to the appropriate combination of sunshine and rain, from a generous land with centuries of tradition and the latest technologies.

Vine growing has its origin in Roman times, and was maintained with the medieval monasteries and was finally established in modern times. The territory was specialized to such an extent that wine production would even condition the structure and distribution of the typical Somontano house.
It's intended a simple itinerary that can be carried out in car, through which will be possible to know new landscapes, where the vineyard is the main character.

The starting point is the capital of the Somontano, Barbastro. Here it can be visited the Space of the Wine and the Centre of Interpretation of the Somontano, integrated both in San Julián's Group. It is also the headquarters of the Council Regulator of Somontano's Origin Denomination. In this same place there is a store, in which is possible to acquire anyone of the excellent wines elaborated by the cellars and handmade alimentary products.

We should leave Barbastro in direction to Huesca, to take the highway A-1232 toward Alquézar and Salas Altas. While slowly goes back the wide valley of the river Vero they can be seen the first vineyards, although in these lands they continue prevailed the vegetable garden cultivations. When arriving to the crossing of highways in which we will take the one that goes to Salas Bajas, it can be said that we are in the centre of the wine-growing area of the Somontano, because it was in this place where the first commercial productions of the wines of the Somontano began. Some of the cellars that here exist they offer guided visits to their equipments.

Salas Bajas are the following of our destinations. Observing the facades of their houses numerous architectural elements can be appreciated that respond to the linking that their inhabitants have always had with the wine. The stone footing at the base of these constructions insulated the interior from the abrupt changes in temperature, providing ideal places for the fermentation, storage and ageing of wines.

Next to the town centre of Salas Bajas we find the cellars Enate that also has a service of guided visits.

Also Salas Altas offers numerous elements of interest, being associate many of them to the culture of the wine. A great number of houses have a window opened up in the baseboard, in the main facade. Through her the grapes hurtled to the "lagar" or "trujar" to prepare the must. Once fermented, the wine was stored in the cellars.

Around this population they can be carried out two simple didactic itinerary, on foot or in bicycle, of 12 km each one; they are denominated Ruta Candelera and Route of the Vineyards, integrated in the net of paths of the Somontano of Barbastro GR 45.
We will leave Salas Altas behind to continue the route toward the population of Hoz de Barbastro, from where it can be enjoyed an excellent panoramic of the whole half sector of the Somontano.  

Already returning toward Barbastro we will go into again in the lands dominated by the vineyard. Oaks, almond trees and old olive groves still enrich more these typically Mediterranean landscapes. In this area are the populations of Montesa, Cregenzán and Burceat.

But this route doesn't conclude in Barbastro neither in any place in short, because they are many cellars and vineyards distributed by the varied geography of the Somontano. Also Ponzano, Lascellas, Radiquero, Costean, Enate, Castejon del Puente, Monesma de San Juan and Estadilla, have important cellars of the D.O. Somontano, where excellent wines are elaborated waiting to be taste for demanding palates and experts of the good one to make of their producers.
Tienda del Centro de San Julián
Foto: CEDER Somontano

Campo de vid
Foto: Mariano Olivera - Comarca del Somontano

Radiquero nevado
Foto: Ignacio Pardinilla
 
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