If you find yourself in Sanlúcar de Barrameda during November or December, I highly recommend making a few stops along the unofficial Ruta de Mosto (Mosto Route). You’ll find cheap wine, great food, and plenty of flamenco music.
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Enjoying the atmosphere at El Rincón in Sanlucar’s Barrio Alto
What is Mosto?
Mosto is a young white wine native to the area. It’s consumed during the months of November and December, after a short vinification period. Don’t expect to drink mosto using a typical wine glass—it’s usually served straight out of an oak barrel, in small jarritas (pitchers) and accompanied by shot glasses. I would not recommend drinking this wine like a shot however, it contains 12% – 15% alcohol so pace yourself accordingly.
A “jarrita” of mosto with potatoes
What is the Ruta de Mosto?
There used to be an official route back in 2011; it was mapped out by city officials and you could get a stamp from establishments as you made your way along each stop. These days however, the ruta consists of going from bar to bar, ordering a pitcher of mosto, some tapas, and making your way to the next stop for more. I usually head to Barrio Alto (uptown) for lunch, around 1:30pm in the afternoon, and grab a table at my favorite mosto bar (see below). We’ll go from place to place and towards 6pm we’ll usually end the route at a venue with live music in uptown or downtown; Zambombas (Christmas flamenco concerts) are very typical in December (see list of concerts here) and there’s always a bar or plaza somewhere in Sanlúcar with live music. If you want to hang with the 20-something crowd, this place is always packed on Saturdays after ruta.
Enjoying the ruta with friends!
Where can you drink mosto in Sanlúcar?
Sanlucar’s Barrio Alto (uptown) has always been the best place to drink mosto. You should definitely bring cash for the ruta…a lot of venues won’t accept cards. I’ve created a list of some of the places I frequent most (below), but there are tons of venues serving mosto around town.
- El Rincón del Abuelo Enrique: For me, this is the best place to start the ruta—it’s got the smoothest mosto and best tapas along the route. I always order a tapa of sopa de tomate (also known as ajo), carne con tomate (meat and tomato sauce), papas cocidas (potatoes with salt) and menudo (don’t ask what’s in it, just eat it).
- La Herrería de Paco Felix: This place is hidden away down small streets in uptown. It used to be a blacksmith shop, and the remnants of its past life have been used to decorate the walls of the establishment.
- La Espuela 2: This place is open year round and is known for its excellent fried fish, sourced straight from the fish market of Bonanza nearby. Ordering puntillitas (tiny squids) is highly recommended here.
- Taberna Descalzas: You can usually grab a table on the street to enjoy your mosto, and sometimes they’ll include a free tapa of papas a la cerveza (beer potatoes) with your pitcher.
My favorite; sopa de tomate (aka “ajo”)
Bonus tip…if you want to experience the most interesting characters in town head to Bar El Manicomio. They don’t serve mosto here, but chances are you’ll get to see some locals singing flamenco inside. I’d try to stop by around 4:30pm; by then the wine starts to kick in and people are ready to sing for an audience of spectators.
I love the local crowd at El Manicomio
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