Tour of a 309 year old winery

Friends of ours contacted us and wanted to go to a winery called Casa Cesilia with us. This winery is located in a small town called Novelda. We took a 30-minute drive to the town of Novelda and decided to check out the “Santuario de Santa María Magdalena” church before going to the winery.

IMG_20160711_131734509_HDR (2) — The Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church on the hilltop in Novelda, Spain

The church is located on a hilltop high above the town of Novelda. The view from the church was breathtaking with a panoramic view of the town.

IMG_20160711_111401232 — View from the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church in Novelda, Spain

The church is in a “Gaudi” style and was built-in 1918 and was not completed until 1946. We walked around the church and admired the unique architecture.

IMG_20160711_111206603 — Front doors of the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena in Novelda, Spain

Some of the stonework was crafted with unique curves and arches. There were designs built into the church by using different rock shapes and colours.

IMG_20160711_111606588_HDR — Notice the twisted stone column in the midst of the other church columns

We walked around the outside of the church admiring some of the features.

IMG_20160711_110738172 — detailed corner section of the church

IMG_20160711_111047190 — Stained glass window above one of the doors

Unfortunately, the church was closed and we were not able to see the inside. After walking around the outside of the church we decided to relax on the patio of the restaurant then headed to the winery.

IMG_20160711_122721419_HDR — Ray, Mike, Liz and Shelley in front of the church before heading to the winery.

We arrived at the main gates of the winery which is situated in the valley below the Santuario de Santa María Magdalena church.

IMG_20160711_134344729 — Giant vat at the entrance to the Winery

The Casa Cesilia winery was established in 1707 and has a long history of making excellent wines. We drove along the roadway which goes partly through some of the vineyards to the main facility.

IMG_20160711_124730202 — Main building of the Casa Cesilia winery

There was beautiful landscaping around the building which is also the home of the owners of the winery.

IMG_20160711_124720108 — Some of the landscaping outside of the winery

The view of the surrounding vineyard and mountains was also very impressive.

IMG_20160711_131734509_HDR — View from the winery

The main building was large and also had a restaurant and areas that were used for special events.

IMG_20160711_124946675 — Restaurant area of the winery

One area which was neat was a wine cellar which special guest or VIP’s could go and enjoy a glass of wine. We could see the room through the glass floor in the restaurant area.

IMG_20160711_132051275 — View of the wine cellar through the glass floor in the restaurant

We took a tour of the winery and saw some interesting aspects of wine making. It is hard to imagine that this family business has been running since 1707.

IMG_20160711_134311316 — Some of the fermenting vats in the winery

IMG_20160711_133754155 — Oak barrels used in the wine making process

The tour took us to a beautiful covered patio area where we could stay in the shade and enjoy the view of the vineyard.

IMG_20160711_133045413 (1) — Shelley in the covered patio overlooking the vineyard

IMG_20160711_133307920 — Patio area near the vineyard

After the tour, we headed to the restaurant to sample some wines. Sitting at an oak barrel table we enjoyed some different wines.

IMG_20160711_140253357 — Ray, Shelley, Liz and Mike have a sample glass of wine

We finished the day by having a great meal and another glass of wine before heading home. On the way to the car we stopped and took a look at the vines and grapes up close.