A beautifully bucolic bodega
I looked rather younger when I first met Felix Martinez. It seems the passage of time has been kinder to my old friend than it has to me!
I’m not sure how many years ago Felix invited me to his winery in DO UtielRequena to see the work he was doing bringing the business into the 21st Century, perhaps it was 16 years? Whilst my memory doesn’t serve me so well in this respect it certainly doesn’t let me down re his wines! I remember clearly how impressed I was, so much so that I organised a number of visits there taking clients of my old travel company, Tin Lizzie Tours. Plus, of course, I’ve been enjoying his wines ever since.
Felix and his siblings grew up in the family winery, Bodegas Vera de Estenas, living in the large impressive mansion/ finca built in 1882. The vineyards planted just before completion of the house and bodega over 150 years ago have been extended over those years and the whole enterprise is surrounded by vines.
Wine was the family business and as such the children grew up in the world of wine.
His siblings mapped out alternative careers but it was wine that resonated with Felix. It’s almost part of his DNA. He studied at the excellent Wine School in nearby UtielRequena, adding the necessary science to the wealth of history and tradition that he already knew inside out.
As is often the case with young winemakers here in Spain, Felix travelled to different winemaking countries, including a trip to Argentina (from which I’ve benefitted indirectly on a few occasions – more on this in Part Two!). With his studies, his travels, his family knowledge and above all, his passion, he set about the renaissance of the family bodega.
Over the years Bodegas Vera de Estenas (www.veradeestenas.es/en/home/) has slowly expanded. The bulk wines made for sale to areas of production that didn’t enjoy the Spanish sunshine of those far off days are now a thing of the past. Felix’s plan was to up the ante – concentrating on improving the quality of the bottled wines and adding to the portfolio.
His toil and that of his loyal team has been rewarded many times with medals and plaudits nationally and internationally – Bodegas Vera de Estenas is now very much established on the world wine map! It’s been a sensibly slow process, a business plan dictated by making sure that each new investment could be paid for by sales.
Felix successfully applied for Vino de Pago status a few years ago – which is quite an honour. Vinos de Pago (D.O.P.). This is a status given to wineries “on the grounds of unique micro-climatic features and proven evidence of consistent high quality over the years, with the goal to produce wines of sheer singularity.” So, Team Vera de Estenas were rewarded once again.
But the business plan isn’t finished yet – two years ago, with the help of his nephew Eduardo, Felix expanded the business to include a casa rural by converting some rooms of the old house into overnight accommodation. A great idea – imagine staying there tasting wines, surrounded by the Cyprus and Pine trees beyond which lie the vineyards providing the grapes for the wines you are drinking!
And it gets better – an even more recent innovation, managed by Eduardo, is the addition of very special dinners in the grounds, on tables surrounding the large rustic pool. These events also include: live music (when we were there last week there was lovely piano music), a candlelit tour of the atmospheric old cellars; a tasting of three of the Pago wines; plus two of their DO UtielRequena, and their DO Cava Brut Nature!
In short it was a glorious most memorable evening! Our accommodation was one of the three apartments, which had its own dining and kitchen area, equipped with hob, fridge, microwave etc (one could easily stay for a few days in this area as there are so many excellent bodegas to discover too).
Next week I’ll give you chapter and verse on the wines we enjoyed, although I won’t be able to tell you which I thought the best – it was far too difficult to tell with wines of this standard!
NB. My Wine Show on www.valleyfm.es is this coming Saturday 5th September from 12:00 hrs – 13:00 hrs CET. And what great wines I have for you, including one that comes in a barnacle encrusted clay amphora which has been aged on the seabed 15 metres below the Ebro Delta where the River Ebro meets the Med! Plus great music as well, of course! Don’t miss it! colin@colinharknessonwine.com www.colinharknessonwine.com Twitter @colinonwine Instagram colinharkness53 Facebook Colin Harkness