Age of the artistic representations: The place is currently formed by some two hundred cellars and its complex network of galleries and underground excavations. These cellars are linear, with similar structures, although from the earliest dates, assigned to the 18th century, it is common to find modifications and restructurings.
General description of the destination: The neighbourhood is formed by dozens of family wineries excavated in the rock, also called “calaos” or “caves”. These cellars are built on three different levels of height within the embankment, which can be accessed through narrow paths that connect them to each other. Its orientation to the north was sought to ensure that the sun did not warm its interior, seeking to maintain cool and humid temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees. Each winery has fairly large dimensions, with the shape of a long tunnel excavated in the rock and a roof rounded like a vault, some of them having reinforcements with wood or stone. Within the ensemble, there was a division of the cellars themselves, finding that some had the function of making and storing wine, while others were used as warehouses or small rooms on the sides of the main corridor. Some of these wineries have built-in systems of holes or ducts called “troneras” or “tobera” through which the grapes’ bunches brought from the vineyards were thrown. The grapes fell through these conduits directly to the mill, where they were pressed with the feet or by the machine. The most common type is horizontal excavation at the same height, without counting slopes, although these alterations of the terrain can be found as works after the original cellars. The process of using the vineyards began in the outer and highest part of the slope, where the “lucera” is located, kind of a chimney with a small front door from which the grapes were picked up, which fell by gravity at the pressing of each draft. In these coves, this lake is located at the entrance, next to a pile dedicated to the extraction of wine after having stepped on the grapes. The size of this structure is usually two meters deep with capacities between 16000 and 32000 litres. Occasionally, in the larger cavities they can be found as far as lakes. Some wineries had press, but in other cases, these were shared. Near the lake were located the “piles”, with which it was possible to extract the wine and transport it to the vats. Inside the caves, there are spaces or side openings for the tanks, which used to have as measurements 1440 or 3200 litres. The bottoms of the cellars were used as storage for barrels and bottles.
History of the site: The wineries that make up the neighbourhood were excavated with the aim of keeping the wine in good condition throughout the year. The connection of Quel to vine cultivation is mentioned since 1327, but the history of its cellars is somewhat more recent. The neighbourhood lived its best during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, being mentioned in the area for 1752 to 224 cellars, and for 1851, 350. However, at the end of the 19th century, a plague called phylloxera destroyed numerous vineyards in La Rioja, forcing the transformation of many vine crops into olive trees and almonds, affecting the use of vines. With the passage of time, cultivation recovered, but with the creation in 1947 of a cooperative that gathered all the grapes of the village to make wine, many family wineries stopped being used, abandoned or were transformed into warehouses, storage rooms or snacks. Since the beginning of the century, thanks to the association of the wine cellar district of Quel, the city council and rural development groups, restoration and conservation projects have been carried out in some wineries for their enhancement.
Museographic resources description: The wineries have started in 2025 to make open visits to the public in the form of a museum. Many of them are still operating in a traditional way and others are being restored to become museums or places for wine tastings and guided tours. However, every year since 2018 a wine festival is held over the month of July called “Enoexperiencia BQ”. During this event, the owners of the wineries and the City Hall open their cellars to the public, allowing visitors to see them inside, taste wines and typical products, and enjoy live music. In addition, the official site has “online tours” that allow you to view each winery, both from outside and through 3D radiographs of each structure.
