Bodegas Protos

Protos is the historic winery of Peñafiel, in the Valladolid part of the Ribera del Duero. The company that runs it is Protos Bodega Ribera Duero de Peñafiel, S.L. Today it combines an underground cellar dug beneath the castle with a modern building by Richard Rogers at the foot of the hill, and presents itself as the most visited winery in the Ribera del Duero, with more than 254,000 visitors since it opened to the public in 2009.

Since 1927

The winery was founded in 1927 with a motto it still repeats: "to be first". In 1970 it began digging an ageing cellar into the castle hill with more than two kilometres of galleries for the barrels. In 1982 it handed over its "Ribera Duero" brand to the newly created Regulatory Council of the designation of origin. In 2008 it unveiled the new winery, designed by the studio Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, of Richard Rogers, with Alonso Balaguer and Arquitectos Asociados, which won a Civic Trust award in 2010. Since 2006 it has also made Verdejo in the D.O. Rueda, with a winery in La Seca, and since 2020 wines in the D.O. Cigales, in Cubillas de Santa Marta. The first winery in Peñafiel now houses the Ágora de Protos, its restaurant, wine shop and wine bar.

The visits

The two 2026 visits in Peñafiel tour the underground ageing cellar and the Rogers and Balaguer building, and end with a tasting, an appetiser and a gift. The Denominaciones Visit lasts an hour and a half and you taste three wines (Protos Clarete, Protos Cuvée and Protos Serie Privada); children are admitted, with a reduced price for ages 4 to 17. The Grandes Vinos Visit lasts two hours, you taste four top-range wines (Protos Clarete, Verdejo Reserva, Protos 27 and Carroa) and it is for adults only. Capacity is limited and groups of more than twenty people are quoted separately. The website does not say in which languages the visits are given or how accessible the galleries are: ask when booking.

You can round off the visit with a meal at the Ágora de Protos, with several menus of wood-fired roast suckling lamb, seasonal or tasting menus with wine pairing, which have a special price for those coming from the visit. They are served from 13:30 to 16:00; some only on weekdays. The winery also sells open-date gift vouchers, valid until 31 December 2026, and has a customer club.

Booking and cancellation

Visits are booked on their wine tourism website: you choose the day and number of people in the calendar, fill in the form and pay by card. Confirmation arrives by email. The booking phone number is 659 843 463 and the email is [email protected]; to eat at the Ágora without a visit, 983 240 008. The buyer must be an adult. You can change or cancel free of charge up to 48 working hours before the visit; after that, or if you do not show up, 100% is charged.

Shop and wine shop

The winery shop is open on Saturdays from 10:30 to 14:30 and from 17:00 to 20:00 and on Sundays from 10:30 to 14:30. On avenida de Escalona, the Ágora de Protos has a wine shop and wine bar. The winery visit is described in more detail on the listing for the winery visit in Peñafiel.