The cave wine pressesalso known in some areas as lizardsThese are press bases carved out of limestone rock that were used to crush the grapes and facilitate the grape harvest.
In La Rioja we can find many examples of these cave constructions in the Sonsierra region, in many cases, located near medieval necropolises and in agricultural terms in the area.
Due to their limited capacity, they were only intended to cover the family needs of the owners in one subsistence economy and self-consumption.
The winepresses consist of a large circular enclosure on a slope where the grapes are deposited, and an attached warehouse The juice was collected in a deeper one, connected to the previous one by a gutter.
These winepresses are believed to be after the 14th century.
1. Types of Rupestrian Lakes in La Rioja
In La Rioja we mainly find 3 types of wine presses:
- Free-standing wine presses: Those that occupy a single rock and have no relationship with other presses.
- Associated wine presses: Those that use the same sandstone block as a necropolis or hermitage, but do not interfere with them.
- Parasitic lags: They owe their name to the fact that they occupy the same block as another complex, taking advantage of the loss of quality of the sacred places and converting it into a wine press.
2. Cave wine cellars in San Vicente de la Sonsierra
San Vicente de la Sonsierra is the municipality in La Rioja with the highest number of cave wine presses have been found, up to 60 of these ancestral constructions.
One of the best known is that of the Hermitage of Santa María de la Piscina, in the hamlet of Peciña, where, in addition to the hermitage, there is also a medieval necropolis.
2.1. The Great Lagar of Pangua in San Vicente
The Great Lagar of Pangua the largest found to date. Its dimensions are impressive with a diameter of 3 metres and a capacity of almost 5 cubic metres, about 2700kg of grapes.
The access to the Lagar de Pangua is complicated, but there are nevertheless a number of places along the way that are worth stopping at.
Taking the LR-317 road towards Rivas de Tereso, we find a road on the right hand side where we find the Pangua's fishing vessel ranger at the foot of a vineyard.
Following this road ahead, we reach a fork where you can leave your car if you want to go to the necropolis of what was once the Convent of San Martín de Pangua. It is located on a vineyard with difficult access.
Next to the necropolis there is also a winepress.
It is time to retrace your steps back to the road to take the other fork to the next exit on the left hand side along a service road. The wine press is not accessible by car. of Pangua which is on the right hand side between the slopes of a cereal field.
An excursion to discover unique places full of history.
3. Cave wine presses in Ábalos
At Ábalos there are located about 30 cave winepresses among which are: Las Abejas, Las Peñas del Seños, San Prudencio, Los Arogues, Las Arenas, Santa Ana, Santa María, El Cadalso, San Cristobal, El Carronillo, Los hundíos, La Toba and El Campillo.
3.1. Las Abejas Cave Cider Press in Ábalos
El Lagar de las Abejas is located at very well preserved and the 3 parts of the wine press can be perfectly differentiated.
To get there from the village of Ábalos, take the regional road LR-319 and continue on until you reach a left hand guard on the left hand side (photo). There you can park your vehicle and take the opportunity to see the vineyard guard, without doubt another key element of La Rioja's oenological heritage.
You must now cross the road and take the service road which starts right in front of you. You climb a slight slope and follow the path for a few metres until the vineyard on the right hand side ends and you will see a sign on the left hand side indicating the Lagar de las Abejas (photo).
This route is another good option to visit both a vineyard and a cave wine press in one go.
4. Other Cave Ponds in La Rioja
Most of the cave winepresses in La Rioja are located in this area of La Rioja Alta, most of them being, as we have seen in the left bank of the Ebro.
However, these constructions can also be seen in a more isolated form at other municipalities such as Haro with the Lagar de Cubillas, Briñas with the Lagar de Saturnina, Villalba de Rioja and even in Nájera.
Undoubtedly, the wine presses represent a valuable part of La Rioja's wine tourism heritage that are worth preserving and enhancing.
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