Amancio Calcerrada
Rioja-busting Spanish Señor
- The man who has defended his vines from wild boar and labelled 30,000 bottles by hand!
- Not a fan of Supermarket Wine Buyers � a man after our own heart!
- Bacchus Wine Award Winner
Amancio Calcerrada's Story
Amancio Calcerrada's Story
"Since I was very small, I would visit cellars with my father and I loved going to the vineyards, especially when the fruit was on the vine. I could eat berries to test their ripeness. Nowadays, as child labour is out of fashion, I just use a refractometer; such is progress!
Nothing is too extreme in my struggle for good wine. Defending vines from herds of boar, labelling 30,000 bottles by hand through the night for an urgent order when the printers made a mistake (and the labels would not fit the equipment), trying to coax a reluctant tank to finish the malolactic fermentation with blankets and hot water bottles... you name it, I've done it!
If asked what contributes to making the perfect glass of wine, I would say -
- Cleanliness
- Healthy, happy vines
- Imagination
- A practical cellar
- And a decent glass to assess the product!
And I'm also a fan of minimal intervention in the vineyards.
What do I love about being a winemaker? Really, I think that working with something that springs up from the earth, and working with that fruit to turn it into a drink, is what gives me enjoyment � as it gives many other people enjoyment too. Oh, and I also love meeting supermarket buyers (NOT!)."
