Bodega Tinta Castiza

El Molar · Sierra Norte Subzone · D.O. Vinos de Madrid

“My mission was to look for abandoned old vines and bring life back to El Molar.”

- Carlos Augusto Reina, founder and director

Place & Landscape

Tinta Castiza is based in El Molar, on the northern edge of Madrid’s wine landscape, an area marked by greater wind exposure, stronger thermal contrast, and a more upland character than much of the region closer to the city. The project positions itself firmly within the Sierra Norte identity, linking its wines to freshness, approachability, and a social style rather than weight or extraction.

The bodega operates from the former wine cooperative building of El Molar, reinforcing its connection to local wine history. Despite being close to Madrid, the setting feels distinctly rural, shaped by village life rather than commuter rhythms.

Origins & Ownership

Tinta Castiza began in late 2016, when the project’s founders started searching for abandoned old vines in and around El Molar. From the beginning, the objective was clear: recover vineyards that had fallen out of use and re-establish a visible winemaking presence in the town.

Restoring the former cooperative space and returning it to active use became a central part of this identity. The project frames itself as an act of recovery rather than reinvention, grounding its wines and visitor experience in local continuity.

Vineyards, Land & Grapes

The winery emphasizes the recovery and use of old Garnacha vines from northern Madrid, complemented in specific bottlings by other traditional local varieties in small proportions. Viticulture and sourcing are presented as part of a broader effort to preserve local grape heritage and keep Sierra Norte vineyards in active use.

Key varieties referenced across the range include:

Garnacha - the core red grape of the project

Malvar - used selectively in certain wines

Winemaking Philosophy

Tinta Castiza describes its approach as minimal intervention, guided by traditional sensibility and respect for raw material. The focus is on allowing the grapes and their origin to define the wine, rather than imposing structure or technique. Sustainability and environmental respect are part of how the winery explains its choices, both in vineyard recovery and cellar work.

The resulting wines are intentionally direct and social, designed to feel honest and accessible rather than constructed.

Wines

Named references consistently presented by the winery include:

Village & Estate Expressions

Molaracha

Red wine positioned as fresh, convivial, and easy to share

Dabuti

Vermut, a central expression of the project’s social and Madrid-style aperitif culture

Visiting the Winery

Tinta Castiza is explicitly visit-forward. The winery promotes guided visits and tastings, with reservations managed directly through its website. Their standard visit offering is listed at €20 per person, including a tasting of wines paired with tapas.

Beyond formal tastings, the bodega emphasizes a relaxed, social atmosphere, particularly through its terrace and the “Tardeo Dabuti” concept - an informal after-work gathering built around vermut, conversation, and music.

Nearby places

Bodegas Viña Bardela

Where Madrid rises into the Sierra Norte - higher altitude, continental contrast, and a bodega built on continuity.

Sierra Norte de Madrid

In Madrid’s northern reaches, wine country rises into altitude, stone, and silence, and nowhere is this more powerfully felt than in Patones de Arriba.

Why It Matters

Tinta Castiza matters because it makes Sierra Norte wine culture feel immediate and alive. By recovering a village winery space, working with abandoned vines, and creating an experience designed for sharing rather than ceremony, it offers a model of Madrid wine that is close, social, and rooted in place - modern in tone, but anchored in local truth.