Bodega
Originally, bodega was the Spanish term for a storage or cellar vault. It was not until much later that the term was almost exclusively associated with "wine cellar", "wine bar" or "wine shop".
Rural bodegas
In the countryside in Spain the self-sufficiency economy prevailed until the beginning of the 20th century , but most of the houses - built of rubble, half-timbered or mud - had no storage cellars ; Only in the course of time were these usually excavated separately and depending on the respective landscape and soil conditions or driven into the natural rock, whereby the entrance was often bricked half above ground and covered with stones and a thick layer of earth. In order to avoid a rise in temperature and the influx of birds, bats and insects and to ensure a certain level of humidity , windows were completely dispensed with; The lighting was provided by torches, candles, pine shavings, etc. In such historic, rural cellar vaults, food such as ham ( jamón ), sausages ( chorizos ), olives ( aceitunas ) etc. as well as wine barrels could be kept cool and protected from pests (mice, insects etc.) ) and putrefactive fungi are stored protected. The cool temperatures in these cellars meant that - especially in summer - people liked to stay here until the late hours of the evening and ate and drank together with the family. Sometimes relatives or neighbors were invited to take part in the evening meal or drink with food and drink they had brought with them .
Urban bodegas
With the increasing size of some wineries in the late 19th century, the need to build large storage rooms developed. The room height in the brick (urban) bodegas allows the temperature to be kept at a stable level throughout the year. The buildings usually have high-rise windows that provide sufficient light and, above all, ensure adequate air circulation; In addition, the shape and placement of the windows prevent direct sunlight from reaching the valuable wine barrels. The floors in the bodega buildings used to consist of tierra de albero , a mixture of small stones and sand, and were watered twice a day in summer to ensure a humidity of around 70%. In addition, the walls contribute to the development of a microclimate in the bodegas - they are often more than 60 cm thick and built according to the traditional "Canto method". These factors contribute to a perfect crianza , which can best be translated as "maturation process".
Others
In the Spanish inner cities you can often find small bodegas , in which beer and small dishes ( tapas or raciones ) are served in addition to the wine , so that this term can also be translated as " restaurant " or " tavern ".
The term “bodega” today describes - in addition to the private wine cellar - mainly commercial wineries, wine shops and wine bars. In most bodegas you can taste and also buy the products made or offered there. There are usually guided tours that explain how wine , sparkling wine , sherry or brandy are produced. A few bodegas in Spain were designed around the turn of the millennium by internationally known architects such as Frank Gehry or Santiago Calatrava .
See also
- Cigales wine region