02 April 2019: Excursion to „Pago de la Jaraba„
After a Spanish breakfast, we met at a landmark of Valdepeñas „La Molineta Square“ to take the bus to Villarrobledo. The target was the farm „Pago la Jaraba„.
First, the manager of this farm showed us the
„Manchego” sheep that are typical for this region. These sheep are fed
with hay from their own field. The production was conventional, but according to high standards. The
milk is processed into cheese immediately after milking according to
the IFS certification, which guarantees a high standard of quality and
food safety.
Then we visited the oil mill where the olives are processed to native oil. Finally, we saw the wine cellars. Since 1998 a small selection of wines is stored there separated by age. In the second wine warehouse we saw a large quantity of oak barrels in which the wine rests for six to twelve months. After that, in the courtyard of the „Finca„, we tasted the sheep cheese „Queso manchego artesano„, self-produced wine and virgin olive oil.
Our lunch was on the way to „Campo de Criptana“ in the restaurant „El Encinar de Haldudo“.
A bit later we travelled to the windmills of „Campo de Criptana“
and back to the time of Don Quixote da la Mancha. In the local mill
museum, we were able to admire three-dimensional reproductions of
windmills from various European countries and find differences.
A visit to a 400-year-old windmill showed us
the function and importance of windmills in the 17th century. In the
year 1575 the inhabitants have already built the first mills. A visit to
a cave house took us even deeper back into the past.
The impressive excursion ended with a siesta in the bus