bodegas lagar blanco

A fantastic place to go to learn about and taste Andalusian wines! I have worked in the wine industry for a couple years now and visited Bodegas Lagar Blanco with my parents, who are wine amateurs, to get a better understanding of Montilla wines and how they are distinct from sherries/Jerez wines. I must say, not only does Miguel speak great English, but he has an exceptional sense (better than anyone else I've met in the world so far) of how to talk about and explain wine and the winemaking process in a way that conveys important technical details whilst being incredibly engaging and informative to the layperson. This is accompanied by a thorough look at the equipment/facilities and tastings at intermediate stages of the process if you wish! For this reason I found it more rewarding than the Sherry tours I went to in Jerez (which were still great), and probably more than most wine/beverage tours I've been to in the world. Unfortunately we did not book early enough in advance to taste his mum's cooking, but there's always next time! :)

A visit to Lagar Blanco is a must if you are in Andalusia and want to explore this authentic wine cellar set in the beautiful country vineyards of Cordoba. It was really interesting to learn all about how the five different wines at the bodega are made, and our friendly tour guide, Miguel, was absolutely excellent in explaining the techniques involved in the wine production process and he happily answered questions that we had. After our tour, which lasted about just over an hour, Miguel prepared us a 'cata', where he taught us how to try and test the five wines that are produced on the Bodega and explained the differences between each one. The wine tasting was accompanied by a small amount of food – cheese, breadsticks, olives and crisps. At the end of the tour there is the opportunity to buy whatever or however much wine you want. If you’re not that fluent in Spanish, Miguel speaks excellent English. I couldn't recommend this visit more. Definitely suitable for anyone who has an interest in artisan wine production or for just a fun day out in the heart of Andalusia (my friend and I are students and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience) I would definitely come back just to listen to the tour again as it was so interesting and enjoyable. If you arrive to Montilla by bus, the only option to get to the Bodega is by taxi from the bus station, which cost us 10 euros. ¡Una visita a la Lagar Blanco es imperativa! Nuestra guía, Miguel, fue excelente y nos explicó mucho sobre como se produce los vinos de la bodega. La visita fue muy interesante, y aprendimos mucho sobre la fabricación de los vinos y el procedimiento utilizado para obtener el mejor vino. También habla muy buen el inglés. Después de la visita, hicimos una cata, donde Miguel nos preparó cinco vinos para probar acompañada de alguna comida. También hay la oportunidad comprar los vinos que quieres, los precios de los cuales no son muy caros, considerando la calidad alta del vino. ¡Miguel, nos disfrutamos mucho nuestra visita a la bodega, y tenemos ganas de volver!

Miguel Cruz Galvez speaks excellent English and is one of the most service minded persons I ever met. With a fantastic passion for his Fathers great work to build up a Wine & Sherry yard with not only production facilities but the most fascinating story and tastings together with the possibility to eat Andalusian home made dishes made by his Mother. I must say that the food was really something extra and I have tried rather many restaurants around Andalusia. You need approx 3 hours for this and it is definitely a unique experience!

My husband and I arrived in Montilla around 17.00 in the evening. We heard we were in a wine region, so I said to my husband I want to taste wine. He hopped onto trip advisor where we read about Bodegas Lagar Blanco. We thought it was late notice but sent an email around 19.00 anyway. Well I could not believe it Miguel responded almost instantly and said Sunday would be perfect around 12.30. I said we both want to do the tour but only I would taste the wine as my husband did not drink. He replied no problem. We arrived at 12.30 Sunday and we realised Miguel had opened the whole winery just for us. WOW how special we felt. We were the only people on the tour and he came in just for us. It is the most BEAUTIFUL property. Miguel was so informative and knowledgeable about wine and the whole process. You could feel his passion for the subject. His English was impeccable. He showed us the wineyards explained the process and let us taste the new wine out the huge clay vats. We then went to taste the wines. I tried 5 they were all very nice. The pedro Hermanas was fantastic. It cost 12 Euros Which was very reasonable. He told us about 2 restaurants to eat at in Montilla and even wrote down a few tapas to order. What an amazing tour and what a fantastic time we had with Miguel.

Thank you Miguel for giving us the opportunity to learn about your wonderful part of the world and how you lovingly produce such fantastic wines. For anybody seeking the real Andalucia this is a 'must'.

We had the pleasure of spending several hours with Miguel learning all about the Pedro Ximenez grape and the wonders it produces. We tasted the 4 "wines" with a stunning tapas. The visit, organized by Just Explore tours, was a highlight of our trip to Andalusia and the slight detour is recommended!!! We came away renewed fans of Sherry which we will be drinking chilled in the heat of the Australian summer!!

Surrounded by stunning countryside, Miguel took us through every step of the process for the family run Bodega which produces "sherry" wines although as they are not in Jerez I am not sure they can be called this. They are however high quality and exceptional.We saw vines in the field, were talked through the production from the very first picking to the storage and methods by which each wine is achieved.Miguel was a truly excellent guide and host with a good command of English. We tasted 5 wines with a selection of meats and cheese only then to be presented with a delicious lunch made by Miguel`s mother - it was a feast of traditional food from the area and absolutely delicious.We now know a little more about the way these wines are made and it has made us appreciate so much more the differences between them and understand the complexities of them.When we visit this area again, we will certainly go to Lagar Blanco once more firstly to refresh our new found knowledge and secondly for the sheer pleasure of seeing Miguel and tasting the wonderful wines!

My wife and I recently visited this bodega and we had an excellent time. Although we arrived late Miguel (the owner's son) was very understanding. Miguel speaks excellent English and has an extensive knowledge of the wine industry,yet he made the visit enjoyable and made it easy for us to understand the process. This bodega is independent and is much more personal and memorable than a visit to the major bodegas. We tried 5 wines and Miguel even asked us if we wanted to have another glass of any of the wines we tried again! The wines themselves were excellent. In addition to the wine tasting we also had tapas which were made by Miguel's mother and they were superb (thanks Miguel's mum). Apart from the excellent wine & tapas the location is also dramatic and the drive there is amongst very pleasant scenery. My wife and I have visited bodegas in South Africa, France and California and Lagar Blanco rates with the best. Book a place as soon as you can.

WOW ! ! ! What a wonderful experience. Each step along the way built upon the previous, starting with the drive through the rural area outside of Montilla amidst the grape wines and olive trees. Upon arriving we were greeted by our host Miguel and were very pleased that our limited knowledge of the Spanish language would not be a limiting factor, as Miguel was very fluent in English. Miguel showed us around outside taking to time to educate us about the grapes and how the elevation (what a spectacular view), the soil and climate of this area all contribute to producing the very high quality Pedro Jimenez grapes used to make their sherry.We then headed inside where Miguel educated my wife and I on the winemaking process, taking his time to answer our questions as he taught us about the different aspects of the process from the cement holding/fermentation tanks, to the way the barrels were filled to adding the new wine to the older wine to produce the final product.Miguel then conducted the tasting which began with tapas consisting of cured Iberian meat and cheese. Miguel then educated us on the new wine and how it progressed over time to becoming the Fino, Olorosso, Amontillado and the Pedro Jimenez. Each wine had its own distinct character and flavor and yet were all made from the same grape by varying the time and oxidation involved. At the conclusion of the tasting Miguel, ever the perfect host, provided us with a sumptuous meal composed of Spanish omelette, flamenquin, croquetas and salmorejo which all belonged to traditional Cordobesian foods. If are visiting this region of Andalucía, the Montilla-Moriles wine region, then taking a tour of Bodegas Lagar Blanco is an ABSOLUTE must do. Granted, you won't know what you're missing but I will and I guarantee you, if you knew what I know, you'd be kicking yourself for not making the time to be educated by Miguel, a true ambassador of the Spanish people. OLE ! ! ! and many thanks to Miguel, our most gracious host. Jim & Dorothy HowellSuwanee, GA

My partner and I adore sherry and understood Miguel's family-run Lagar Blanco to produce some of the most exceptional Oloroso, Amontillado and PX in Montilla-Moriles, and that's certainly so. The landscaping is so dramatic and sweeping, leaving the little bodega to feel like your secret amidst the colinas.Miguel is a gracious and deeply knowledgeable host who privately toured us around the vineyard explaining cultivation technique and all harvesting details in perfect English. We moved through to the tasting room to sample very special blends and an array of green young wine to aged sweeter sherry. Miguel was very generous with portions and we were left glowing with sherry! Tge sweet scent filled the air in the bodega and we absolutely had to leave with bottles of each- Miguel's wines are almost criminally priced- the oloroso and PX definitely deserve higher price points than €12 as they're very much to be savoured.Would love to return to witness the September harvest. Miguel is very warm-hearted and we would love to hear updates on the development of the impressive bodega.

The bodega is high on a hill so the views are fantastic, olives and vines as far as the eye can see! The landscape alone is worth the trip but Miguel is a major bonus. He carefully explained about the vines, why they are planted as individuals rather than on wires, how the local climate affects the grapes, the soil, the processes of picking through to the production of the wine and of course then there was the wine tasting with tapas. We were very impressed with the wine and wished we didn't need to be flying home, we would certainly have bought more than a couple of bottles to drink whilst we were here but there was absolutely no pressure to do so. Miguel was an excellent host, because it is his family business and he's not just an employee, his enthusiasm and passion for the Lagar/bodega makes the tour so much more interesting and informative than most. We would highly recommend this visit, well worth a trip off the beaten track.

Four of us spent a wonderful afternoon at this vineyard. Miguel was a gracious host. He gave us a quick introduction to the wine making process. We tasted a number of wines. I really liked the amontillado. The setting amidst the olive trees and vineyards was picture perfect. A must see if driving from cordoba to granada!

My husband and I recently traveled to southern Spain for our honeymoon and were determined to go to at least a couple of off-the-beaten-path places. When I read about the Montilla-Moriles wine route that was on our way from Granada to Sevilla, I knew we had to visit a bodega (where they store/age and bottle wine) or lagares (where they actually make and press the wine). After reading about Bodegas Lagar Blanco in the Guardian, we were set on our destination. Getting there by car is not easy, but as long as you have a GPS that takes coordinates you'll be okay (ours only accepted addresses and there's no set address for this place). The second you get there you see why it's such a tricky destination. It's outside the main towns and set on a rural hill, surrounded by verdant, rolling hills filled with grapevines. Under the Andalusian sun, it is a sight to behold. Miguel, the owner's son and our guide, patiently waited for us even though we were 2 hours late (I told you it was hard to find!!!) and gave us a great tour and tasting. Although the place is small, the intimacy, charm, friendliness of Miguel, and quality of the wines makes you linger much longer than you'd think. We were there almost 3 hours. All the wines are great, but particularly phenomenal are the fino, amontillado, and Pedro Ximenez. Make a reservation and find your way there. It's undoubtedly worth the trip.

Es la tercera bodega que visito, la primera de la DO Montilla Moriles, y tras la experiencia no puedo más que alegrarme de haber elegido esta bodega en mi viaje. No hay horario fijo de entrada puesto que se adaptan a tus necesidades. Es más, no conseguí dar con la ubicación en el GPS y Miguel no tuvo ningún problema en quedar con nosotros en un bar de Montilla para guiarnos hasta la bodega.Es una empresa pequeña y familiar. El mismo dueño de la empresa es quien te la explica y te guía en todo. Y lo explica muy bien, se le nota la pasión por su trabajo. Toda la información que nos dio fue muy completa y no hubo ni una sola pregunta sin responder (y yo soy muy preguntona y puedo ser muy pesada a veces). Una atención maravillosa y unos vinos EXCELENTES. Conocer la bodega y que Miguel nos guiara en la cata de sus vinos ha sido lo mejor de mi último viaje. Ahora me arrepiento de no haberme traído más botellas a casa.Desde luego que espero poder repetir en el futuro, porque me falta almorzar allí, en un entorno maravilloso, y para colmo es comida casera la que ofrecen. Recomendaré la visita a toda persona que quiera conocer con los cinco sentidos la historia del vino y de la DO Montilla Moriles, porque aquí ha sido el mejor Día de Andalucía que he pasado nunca.. Mi más sincera enhorabuena y os deseo la mejor de las suertes.

En plena sierra de Montilla, rodeado de viñas se encuentra un lagar, el cual en sus caldos se concentra el buen hacer y el oficio de sus dueños, los cuales no dudan en ofercer cumplida información ante cualquier duda.Un placer para los sentidos y para el conocimiento de ese apasionante mundo de sensaciones como es el vino, donde los matices, sabores y colores tienen cada cual su significado, que dirigidos durante la cata por esta familia, logra que comprendas lo que tus labios, paladar, olfato y vista tienen ante si.Experiencia muy recomendable, gracias, por las veces que me habéis acogido en vuestras instalaciones y las que me restan, para degustar vuestros vinos.