The video highlights the unique winemaking and architectural heritage of Moradillo de Roa, a small village in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. It focuses on “El Cotarro”, the underground neighbourhood of traditional wine cellars. These wineries represent centuries of winemaking tradition in the area. This heritage is not only as a reminder of the past, but also as a cultural and tourist resource   that keeps the town's history alive.

Moradillo de Roa is a small town in the Ribera del Duero region of Burgos, Spain. Beneath our feet, our small town holds an enormous heritage. We are only 163 residents but we are proud to share with you the treasure hidden within Moradillo de Roa: our extraordinary and unique underground wine cellar district, called “El Cotarro”.  “El Cotarro” is the result of nature's work and the efforts of many generations of people. The hill houses an impressive network of 157 underground wine cellars and 7 cave wine presses spread across several levels within the hill.

The hilltop, crowned by the Church of San Pedro, stands as a silent witness to the passage of time. Our town has been inhabited for thousands of years. On the hill where the church stands, recent excavations have unearthed ceramics dating back more than 4,000 years, medieval ceramics, and a wall from the 12th and 13th centuries that protected an ancient settlement.

In the Ribera del Duero region, we have been making wine for over 2,500 years. The wines of the region have shaped and sustained our communities for centuries. Our cellars began to be built centuries ago, in the 14th century, and were used to produce and store wine. They are like an underground labyrinth steeped in history.

Over time, many wine cellars were abandoned and in danger of collapsing. Then, in late 2018, the local inhabitants decided to join forces to restore and protect them. The Moradillo Wineries Project arose from the need to protect, restore, maintain, and showcase our winemaking heritage, our ancestral customs, and our roots. “El Cotarro” has become an important cultural and tourist site, attracting many visitors who want to learn about traditional winemaking techniques. Today, the cellars are a key tourist attraction in the Ribera del Duero region.

Here we have learned that protecting our culture, our traditions, and our environment is part of who we are. For us, wine culture is our history, our landscape, our work, our tradition, and our identity. For hundreds of years our ancestors worked the land, tended the vineyards, and came together to build underground cellars. Today, we are proud of working together as a community to restore “El Cotarro”. Families, neighbors, volunteers… A town united to preserve something unique passed down from our elders. And now, we—the children of Moradillo—want to preserve this treasure so that future generations can also enjoy it.

The wineries are places where we gather and remember our ancestors. It's about coming together, celebrating, and sharing special moments, family events, old stories and tales, music festivals, harvests. In Moradillo we organize many activities to share our heritage with the world: a Swing Festival, Haunted Underground Cellars Visits, literary competitions, speed dating events, professional tastings, virtual tour, sports activities, and even a hobbit village recreation. We have also created an audio guide where the owners tell the story of their wineries and many anecdotes about their families.

Every year, more than 300 volunteers and a winemaker make a village wine called “El Cotarro.”

We use a very old grape variety from here, Albillo Mayor, which the local growers donate. The grapes are pressed the old-fashioned way, in a wine press dating back to 1736.  With this wine, and also with two harvest beers, we raise money to continue restoring the wineries. This also creates jobs and helps people stay in the village.

We feel part of something bigger. Wine culture connects Moradillo with the Ribera del Duero region, with Spain, and with all of Europe, where wine making has been an important part of our identity for thousands of years.

Even a very small village can have a remarkable heritage, and preserving it helps keep history, identity, and community life alive. Moradillo de Roa shows how nature, tradition, and people can work together to protect something truly special. Although our wineries no longer represent our way of life, they are lovingly cared for and have been given a second life as places for friendly gatherings. They are a symbol that unites us and fills us with pride. We love Moradillo de Roa, our land, our history, and its people. You are welcome to visit us and discover "El Cotarro”.

Ayuntamiento de Moradillo de Roa

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