Baños de Valdearados, the hidden village from Ribera del Duero in Burgos.
Baños de Valdearados is a tiny village from Burgos’ province in Ribera del Duero DO. It is at 900m high (2950ft.), at 16km northeast from Aranda de Duero. Nowadays, the population is 340 inhabitants, but it was around 1,000 during 1900.
Origins Baños de Valdearados
The origin of Baños de Valdearados is likely from the Roman Empire Era, as deposits of astonishing mosaics from the IV and V century show. One of these representing God Bacchus, thus linking this area to an ancient winemaking tradition and roots.
These ruins belong to a big house foundation with a heating system using underground air streams.
Viñedos en Baños de Valdearados
This is a very important village for Resalte’s wines. Opposite to other areas where cereal and beetroot fields have replaced vines, Baños de Valdearados shelters some of the oldest vineyards. These are usually distributed in very very tiny estates, on calcareous soils and on high elevations. These three factors make these estates very interesting to produce fresh and elegant wines.
The average temperature is lightly lower than in other areas from Ribera del Duero. Usually, the vegetative cycle is slower and that lag is kept during the whole process. As a result, this area is one of the latest to be harvested. By the end of September – beginning of October the ripening process is completed, later than in other areas. Vines, as they suffer less stress, preserve high acidity levels and lower alcohol contents, showing a great polyphenolic ripeness and a perfect balance.
Most of our vineyards are on plateaus, above 900m high (2950ft.). Furthermore, some of our vineyards are on slopes orientated to the Southeast, where the sunlight during the sunrise is received to awake the vine meanwhile the radiation during the sunset is avoided as it is usually higher and potentially more harmful. Soils are predominantly clay-calcareous, one of the soils with the highest enological value.
¿What to do in Baños de Valdearados?
The ruins of the Roman mosaic are open to visits from Wednesday to Sunday. We strongly recommend booking an appointment to schedule your visit.
By the end of August, the village celebrates Bacchus’ festivity. Then, the village recreates parades of Roman soldiers and the atmosphere of the Empire, such as mosaic and leather workshops and archeology seminars.