Bullas Bodegas: Bodega San Isidro
Bodega San Isidro is a Co-operative from which wine can be purchased directly
Over a million litres of Cepas del Zorro wine is produced at the Bodega San Isidro every year
The Bodega San Isidro in Bullas is a cooperative winery located just outside the town of Bullas itself, and uses state-of-the-art production technology to produce wine which is mostly sold in bulk within the domestic Spanish market.
Grapes are delivered to the winery from 120 vineyards, all in the area included in the Bullas Denomination of Origin, and in a typical year the proportion of the harvest processed in Bodega San Isidro can amount to as much as 1.5 million kilograms. This leads to output of around 1 million litres of wine per year, and 80 per cent of production is destined for the bulk purchasing market in Spain, although sales are also made to the USA and other countries.
The main label belonging to Bodega San Isidro is that of Cepas del Zorro, which includes both a white wine variety (using Macabeo grapes) and a rosé (based on the Garnach strain). However, as is the norm in Bullas, the most prestigious of the three is the red wine, which is created using Monastrell grapes and, in the case of the Crianza wine, those of the Syrah variety.
The red Cepas del Zorro accounts for 85% production at the Bodega and is by far the most representative product.
There is no getting away from the fact that the Bodega San Isidro is by no means one of the most picturesque stops on the Bullas Wine Route, but on the other hand it is a reminder that apart from beautiful landscapes and quaint grape-treading traditions wine production in the 21st century is, at times, a hard-nosed business like any other. Each of the containers in the factory can hold 75,000 litres of wine at various stages of its maturing process, and what looks at first glance to be a small bottling plant is actually capable of dealing with 1,000 litres per hour at the height of production.
A separate area of the plant is devoted to maturing and preserving the wines prior to distribution.
In addition, for those of limited mobility (or on a rainy day!) the winery offers a more accessible and safer visit than the vineyards on the higher ground outside the town of Bullas, and visitors will gain considerable insight into the way in which Bullas wines are produced and the scale of production involved.
Guided tours
A tour of the facilities at Bodega San Isidro lasts approximately 60 minutes and is priced at 4€ per head (minimum group size six people). These visits include the opportunity to sample the Cepas del Zorro wine (and of course to purchase bottles if desired), and are usually held from Monday to Friday between 10.00 to 13.30 and from 16.00 to 19.00.
Special advance warning is needed if an English-speaking guide is required, as the tour is normally conducted in Spanish.
Direct Purchase
The Bodega is open for direct purchase of wine from the Co-operative during opening hours.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:30 and 16:00 to 19:00
Address:
Calle Altiplano, s/n,
Polígono Industrial Marimingo,
30180 Bullas
T: +34 968 652 160
How to get to Bodega San Isidro in Bullas
The production facility of the winery is on the Marimingo industrial estate to the north-east of Bullas, and is easily reached from the RM-15 motorway by taking the exit at kilometre 41.
At the turn-off take the RM-B26 as if heading towards La Copa de Bullas, but instead enter the industrial estate almost immediately on the right-hand side. The Bodega is at the back right of the estate, so either take an immediate right on Calle Valle Guadalentín and follow the road round to the far end, or head straight on (Calle Río Mula) before taking the last right on Calle Altiplano.
From the centre of Bullas the industrial estate is best reached by veering left on the Carretera de La Copa on the way out of town from the Wine Museum: this leads to the junction with the motorway and the RM-B26.
Additional information:
The bodega can be visited as part of a morning out in Bullas, which could include visiting other bodegas, or combined with a visit to one of the two excellent museums in the town, the Museo del Vino or Casa Museo Don Pepe Marsilla.
Both of these offer an English language guided tour by prior arrangement with no minimum group size.
