Discover Eskuernaga: Wine, Culture and Paths Through the Vineyards

At Marquesa-Valserrano in Villabuena-Eskuernaga, a centuries-old family winemaking tradition lives on in the bottles produced there.

Wine and Local Tradition

The full Marquesa-Valserrano tour explains the winemaking process. The ageing process is also explained. Afterwards, three wines are tasted with a snack.

The visit therefore covers both the stages involved in producing the wine and the subsequent part, during which various products are sampled together with a snack.

The “Valserrano Origin” visit includes a tour of the family winery’s centuries-old cellars. Afterwards, two wines are tasted.

Here, the cellars and the family winemaking tradition are combined with a guided tour and a set tasting. This keeps both the production process and the winery’s historic character visible.

The wineries of Villabuena de Álava offer wine-tourism opportunities. These include tours of their facilities and wine tastings.

An iron sculpture stands in Villabuena’s traditional wine-cellar district. The figure depicts a man operating a wine press.

The sculpture thus draws on a motif from the local wine industry and stands in the heart of the district, whose traditional use remains part of the town’s history.

Landscape and Trails

Eskuernaga / Villabuena de Álava extends on both sides of the Arroyo Herrera stream. The Arroyo Herrera flows through a deep valley.

The town’s location is therefore shaped spatially by the stream and the valley through which it flows. Both details form part of the geographical description of Eskuernaga / Villabuena de Álava.

Villabuena has numerous paths through the vineyards. These paths can be used for mountain biking.

The paths run through the wine-growing landscape and are explicitly also intended for mountain biking. The vineyards and paths therefore form another part of the townscape.

Buildings and History

The Iglesia de San Andrés was built between 1539 and 1728. Its construction took place in three phases. The church combines styles ranging from Late Gothic to Baroque.

The long construction period explains the combination of several styles within the same church. The three building phases span the period from 1539 until completion in 1728.

The manor house of the Marqués de la Solana was largely built in the 16th century. In the 18th century, it was extended with two wings.

A relief is located on the Casa del Indiano. It depicts Santiago Matamoros.

Ibaola Harriak is a cemetery with megalithic aesthetics. The cemetery is integrated into its surroundings. It offers an alternative to religious cemeteries.

The buildings and memorial sites thus range from a church built and developed over several centuries, through an extended manor house, to a relief and cemetery.

Chapel and Memorial Sites

In the chapel, the residents of Villabuena honour their patron saint. This tribute takes place every year on 15 May. The chapel was restored in 1997.

The annual day of honour on 15 May and the 1997 restoration are among the recorded details concerning the chapel.

Other Places

Other places include: Campezo / Kanpezu, Lasarte, Arkaia, Lukiano, Navaridas, Laserna, Hueto Arriba and Villanañe.

For the higher-level travel overview: Alava.