In 2006 I began work ON old vineyards in Bierzo. My approach was different to the one back then – I.E. returning old vines to Organic Farming.
The main idea behind my viticulture is to restore life in the soil by imitating nature. I found a marvelous vineyard in Bierzo that had been ill-treated and damaged by the use of chemicals. The full potential of the vines was undeveloped and I thought would love to introduce organic farming concepts.
The more life exists in the soils, the greater their capacity to draw CO2 from the atmosphere, and better possibility for the plants to develop their roots. That is the best way to let the grapes express the unique characteristics of the place, the soil and its microclimate.
No Ploughing the Ground.
My decision was to not plough in order to let the weeds grow and thereby restore the natural fertility of the soils, feed the food network, increase organic matter and fix carbon.
At the same time, the accumulation of organic carbon in vineyard soils will make them healthier, increase their resilience. This will also encourage biodiversity, creating a balanced ecosystem that benefits the vineyard too. In that way we will try to get the balance of the 3 Ms:
- Organic Matter.
- Minerals.
- Microorganisms.
So I grow the grapes naturally, with as little intervention as possible, so that the wine produced from our grapes truly reflects the terroir.
Organic Farming.
In our vineyard, we do not use synthetic fungicides, herbicides or fertilisers. This encourages sustainability, biodiversity and natural balance. My dream was to develop farming methods that would contribute to the production of healthy foods that would eliminate entirely the aplication of synthetic chemical in the vineyard. After more than a decade I can now say that this dream comes true.
Applying and reinforcing such practices benefit greater biodiversity in the vineyard, replacing chemical non-solutions with naturally derived ones and using them based on technical criteria.
The vines that grow in a living soil, free of chemical residues, drawing optimum levels of minerals from the soil, becoming stronger with better natural resistance to disease. These vines will produce fruit for years to come. The most important threat in Bierzo right now is the mildew fungus which we control by using bio methods like salts, natural sulphur, seaweed extracts, chamomile and other herbs infusions.
Vines growing in a living soil, free of chemical residues, drawing optimum levels of minerals from the soil, become stronger with improved natural resistance to disease, making the use of synthetic fungicides totally pointless.
We deliver locally in London and we can also send wine anywhere in England, Scotland & Wales with our beloved friends The Winery UK.