Calatayud

Calatayud lies on the river Jalón in the Sistema Ibérico mountains, the second-largest town in the province of Zaragoza after the capital. Its farmland is mostly apple and pear orchards, with vineyards among them, and it gives its name to the Calatayud DOP, which covers over 5,600 ha across 46 municipalities in the southwestern corner of the province, next to Cariñena. The vines grow on stony, loose, poor soils with a high lime content, in a continental climate with hot dry summers and a good chance of frost for six months of the year. Taste the local wine in town before heading for the vineyards.