Welcome to Calicata, our new terroir bar in the winery

It’s pretty similar to the perfect terrace you’re hoping to discover this summer. A relaxing space surrounded by nature where you can enjoy simple but refined local dishes prepared by Marc Segarra and paired with the wines of Abadía Retuerta and other selected producers.

Calicata is a really special place. An extension of the winery towards nature in its broadest sense. Not only does it allow you to enjoy the distinctive pine forest surrounding Abadía Retuerta, but it also provides the perfect setting to appreciate the essence of the wines and dishes.

The conceptualization of Calicata was adviced by Ansón&Bonet, the gastronomic cabinet. In adition,Sierra la Higuera Studio has really hit the spot with its green and ochre designs, created from the most elementary materials that nature gives us: clay, wood or cork.

The dishes have proximity written in capital letters. Chef Marc Segarra has sought out light meals using seasonal produce from the monks’ organic vegetable garden and from local suppliers. Highlights include the cold vegetable cream from the garden with smoked sardines that changes daily based on the vegetables available, the cold stew with a red partridge marinade from Finca Santa Rosalía, one of our star local suppliers, or hummus with Pedrosillano chickpeas. The estate’s pine nuts are an ingredient in the cod flakes salad with red peppers whereas traditional Candeal bread is brought in daily by Alcázar, a bakery in the neighbouring village of Tudela de Duero.

It is a fantastic selection of cold foods very much in line with the seasonal nature of the terrace and intended to operate from April to October. The desserts have also been taken care of. You can choose between the artisan torrija (French toast) ice cream, the Bierzo apple puff pastry and the spiced pears in wine cooked with Abadía Retuerta Selección Especial.

A terroir-driven bar

The terroir, that magical combination of soil, climate, grape varieties and human intervention that explains why some wines are different from others, is at the heart of Calicata, starting with its own name. A calicata (soil pit) is an excavation of some depth which enables to explore the terrain, to study its different horizons and the composition and texture of the soils.

Based on the firm belief that a terroir bar should offer unique experiences, the star attraction of its liquid part is the two half-glass flight to compare different wines and understand how the climate, varieties and soil contribute to the character and personality of each one of them. In these flights, the wines of Abadía Retuerta are measured against others from a variety of Spanish and foreign producers. Some examples: the white Le Domaine with Belondrade y Lurton from Rueda; Pago Garduña Syrah with Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna from Australia or Selección Especial with Mauro, its popular neighbour from Tudela de Duero. There are also more exotic selections from the Winemaker’s Collection series in which our Duero Touriga is pitted against the red Cabriolet by Susana Esteban and the Garnacha is tasted alongside Les Crestes, made by Mas Doix on the slate slopes of Priorat.

Other important draws: all of the bottles in the store are available at Calicata and the entire Abadía Retuerta range is served by the glass, including the rare Petit Verdot and historic vintages. Appetisers, by the way, are well catered for with a fine selection of sparkling wines and sherries. Everything at Calicata is thought out down to the last detail to seduce wine and food lovers. You cannot miss this unique experience.