december 2020 - viña elena · 2020. 12. 31. · 4 the first harvest of the year the first harvest...
TRANSCRIPT
December 2020
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I don’t think I need to go into detail about what
a ‘special’ year we’ve all had. We’re all aware of the
damage wrecked by the pandemic at a global level,
the families left without loved ones, without work.
Many businesses including the wine, tourism and
service sectors have all been hit hard financially. But,
if there’s one thing we’ve learnt from our forebears,
it’s that we can never give up, we have to continue
the fight come rain or shine because that’s the only
way to move forward.
The fact that this magazine has been sent to
you today is our attempt to shine a light on some
of the positives that have keep us going. Positives
that we would like to share with you here as a way of
summing up this unusual year.
Our aim with this magazine is to transmit the
same spirit that keeps us going and gives us hope
and passion for what is to come. After all, wine is the
legacy of vines that tirelessly strive to produce the
very best grapes, even in the most difficult years.
Let’s learn from them.
2020what a year!
Elena PachecoWinemaker, CEO of Bodegas Viña Elena
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The first harvest of the year
The first harvest in our region took place on
Tuesday 4th August 2020. Our plan was to use
the ripe Garnacha to make rosé and we needed
all hands on deck to harvest in a single day. If
there is one thing that makes Bodegas Viña
Elena stand out from the rest, it is our people.
Our dedicated team is a true blessing. So, when
the call went out to ask who was available to
harvest early in the morning almost all the crew,
with the exception of those needed to keep
the bodega ticking over, volunteered. Off
we went with secateurs in hand to cut
bunches and, inevitably, fingers! It is an
interesting experience for those not used
to it as you can look forward to at least
two days of aches and pains, but also
to the huge satisfaction of tasting (at
the time of writing) a Familia Pacheco
Rosado 2020 whose grapes passed
through your hands one warm August
morning.
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Harvest 2020The 2020 harvest is a good vintage, in contrast
to the hard, complicated year we have all suffered
in general. The grapes entered the bodega in
exceptional sanitary conditions, something we had
not seen for a while. The yield was high because
the grapes were free from fungus and botrytis or
‘noble rot’ throughout the growth cycle.
It rained quite a lot in spring, which gave the vines
reserves to survive the hot summer. The summer
was somewhat unusual in that it was hot during
the day but very cool at night. This fluctuation in
temperature helped the grapes to ripen at an
optimum rate.
The harvest began in August in the lowest regions
at 380 to 500 metres above sea level. Garnacha
was first followed by Syrah and even some
Monastrell was harvested at the end of August from
the Mandiles vineyard. It was a seamless harvest,
unlike other years when rain in mid-September or
October stops play. In contrast, this year in early
autumn it was dry, with no mists or early morning
dew. This helped to keep the grapes healthy and
gave rise to a natural, balanced ripening process.
The yield was higher than last year by around 30%.
Given the above, we believe that 2020 could
produce one of our region’s most legendary
vintages.
This year we missed out on wine!
In 2021, we need to take care in order to recover
all those moments we missed in the bar in the
company of our family and friends, in gastronomic
events, fairs, face-to-face tasting events, and
celebrations. We need to hang on to all those hugs
that we miss so much, so that we can again raise
our glass of wine to celebrate the fact that we are
together and that between all of us we can get
through this.
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BarcelonaWe were also present in a new wine show that
brought together more than 15,000 participants:
Barcelona Wine Week. We showcased our Monas-
trell wines from the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín
range. During the tasting process we explained the
origin of the project and the differences between
each wine. The event gave rise to friendships and
collaborations, one of which was with Vértigo Wines
who now distribute our wines in Catalonia.
GaliciaOn 3rd February 2020, we were present, together
with another fifteen bodegas from DO Jumilla, in
the Salón de vinos DOP Jumilla (DO Jumilla Wine
Show) held in the Hotel Finisterre in A Coruña,
Galicia. A Coruña is a strategic city in the northwest
of Spain were the consumption of wine takes on a
special significance, and it was there where we first
launched our Familia Pacheco wine range.
Rural Businesswoman of the Year Award
On 15th October, International Day of Rural
Women, Elena Pacheco was named as one
of eight Rural Businesswomen of 2020 by the
Region of Murcia Agricultural Agency.
We know that this recognition of Elena’s
worth as head of a bodega and agrarian estate
is also a homage to every rural woman who toils
day after day to keep their business afloat in the
challenging, undervalued agricultural sector.
Many are invisible, yet without their support and
their tireless work, the industry would collapse.
Our thanks go out to every single one of them.
Emi and Elena Pacheco, two of the sisters who run the bodega
This year, Elena Pacheco was invited to take part
in the round table, Empoderamiento femenino.
Sumamos para la igualdad (Female Empowerment.
Together for equality) as part of an event organised
by La Verdad newspaper in Cartagena for the 3rd
edition of Semana de las Mujeres (Women’s Week).
The seeds of equality
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G O L D M E D A L S A T T H E
2 0 1 9 Q U A L I T Y A W A R D S
DO Jumilla online tasting events
From March to May 2020, DO Jumilla organised
a series of online tasting events – #convinamiento
Jumilla – that were broadcast on its Facebook page
every Friday at 20:00h, presented by sommeliers and
winemakers.
We took part on 3rd April, with Jumilla winemaker,
Diego Cutillas, secretary of the Asociación Murciana de
Enólogos (Murcia Winemakers Association) in a special
edition devoted to Syrah, which is gaining ground in our
DO and in the Certamen de Calidad de los Vinos de
Jumilla (Wines of Jumilla Quality Competition).
A simple act of solidarity
During the month of June, we launched a
campaign to support the hospitality sector with
the aim of moving one small cog to set the wheels
in motion. The idea was to gift the end consumer a
bottle of wine, for every €60 spent on products in
any online shop – collect or delivery – to drink in any
one of the bars or restaurants on the list published
on the website. The concept being that once the
lockdown was over and we could return to our
favourite places, WE CAN START WITH WINE!
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One of the many things the pandemic has taught
us is that you do not have to be physically present in
order to enjoy a tasting session. Technology enables
us to shorten distances when it comes to sharing
a wine together and reaches places that would
be impossible to get to otherwise. Online tasting
events were a real discovery for us, both at a
professional and recreational level. We have been
able to present our wines to prestigious sommeliers
from various restaurants and lead tasting sessions
for groups of friends and customers of the bodega.
All the participants had one thing in common, they
were all at home, relaxed and ready to enjoy, learn
and have a good time.
And it looks like this type of online tasting event
is here to stay. In fact, in December 2020 we
launched our private online tasting events at
Bodegas Viña Elena.
Customers can choose between five tasting
modules buying for themselves or a group of wine-
loving friends, work colleagues, or even as a business
gift. The modules are targeted at different sectors
of the public ranging from absolute beginners in the
world of wine – tastings include single-varietal wines
and Monastrell wines from different vineyards – to
professionals – events include vertical tastings,
limited edition wines, etc.
Lockdown and the rise in online tastingsF A N C Y S O M E W I N E ? A N Y P L A C E , A N Y T I M E !
To sign up just go to: wwww.vinaelena.com/catasprivadas
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Converting the estate to organic farmingWe are in the process of converting our entire
estate to organic farming, although in the case
of the vineyards we only need certification as we
have been using organic farming for years. Disease
control is carried out using only organic compounds
for certain plagues and moths, such as lobesia.
Every year, we use pheromones to monitor when
different generations of the species emerge from
their eggs. And we only use sulphur as a fungicide.
As such, we are currently focusing on converting
our almond orchards and olive groves.
The conversion implies a change of mindset
from curative to preventative, anticipating
problems and eliminating the use of products that
have wide-ranging effects. Modern agriculture often
uses pesticides that not only eliminate plagues
but also kill the wildlife that live in the plantations.
In contrast, by using organic farming we tackle the
problem using bio-products in order to reach a
balance between different wildlife species. We
use natural predators that eat pests to create
an environmental reserve where, little by little,
treatments are virtually no longer needed. It
takes about three years to reach the right balance,
sourcing predators that eat all the types of pests in
the plantations.
The objectives we have set for our plantations
are not based on the additional financial gain that
organic products fetch on the market but on the
fact that we have now reached a point in time
when such actions are much needed and, in fact,
essential for the survival of the planet. We need to
urgently find a balance, create natural, sustainable
products that respect the environment and
nature, especially in a region like ours, which lacks
rainfall and would benefit from organic farming.
At the end of the day, organic farming is not that
complicated, it involves following a philosophy of
common sense.
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Organic crop management
Our crops are treated with products based
on 100% natural organic microorganisms. We
meet EU standards for organic production by
using Symborg’s MycoUp, VitaSoil and BlueN
products. These products not only guarantee
sustainable production with zero residues,
but also improve the environment and the
quality of the soils significantly, while reducing
pollution to underground water supplies as
well as the release of harmful gases into the
atmosphere.
BlueN is the first nitrogen fixation biofertil-
iser able to substitute nitrogenous-based
chemical composts and fertilisers. The
crops take the nitrogen they need directly
from the air, via a bacterium that was discov-
ered and patented by the company, which
enters the plant through the leaves and con-
verts nitrogen into ammonium absorbed by
the plants.
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Olives and almonds are traditional crops in our
region and estate. However, we are implementing
new cultivation systems, looking for different
soils and new self-fertilising varieties that adapt
perfectly to the climate. The three traditional
crops or Trinity of the high-plains of Murcia –
olives, almonds and vines – provide the nutritional
products that are in every home; almonds and
olive oil are fundamental ingredients of the
Mediterranean diet.
As a consequence, we are converting our crops
to organic farming, taking great care to obtain
maximum quality. In particular, we are focusing on
the nutrition of our olive trees and especially on the
harvesting process where everything happens very
quickly. The olives should not be stored but taken
directly to the olive mill from harvesting in order to
maintain their organoleptic qualities which give rise
to expressive, aromatic olive oil.
Olives and almonds
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One of our latest projects is a new estate: Casa
Quemada, in the village of Término de Arriba, close
to Jumilla, at 700 metres above sea level.
The estate is crossed by a gully and boasts a wide
range of properties including sunlight exposure,
orientation, soils, slopes, etc. Yet because and
not despite the region’s heterogeneity we have dug
a series of five test pits in order to discover more
about the area.
We have identified five different areas where
we have discovered different soil types and are
studying the properties of each type. The test
pits are 1.8 metres deep and we have discovered
between nine and ten different types from clay to
compact soils, some with high limestone levels and
some with more organic material and not as poor
as others.
The objective of the study was to help us to
define the style of wines we can produce from
the soils more clearly.
Test pits
Casa Quemada Estate
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PucherosA puchero is a traditional cooking pot and
is the name given by Elena to the red-coloured
small-capacity tubs we use for micro-winemaking.
Every year during the harvest, many new ideas
arise about what to do with certain grapes,
based on their quality and origin. One such idea
is to obtain the essence of each individual plot
in order to extract the maximum expression,
especially from the soils. As a result, this year we
made micro-wines using the grapes from the test-
pit areas after having studied the soils and deciding
it was the right time to experiment. This enables
us to try out new ideas and processes to see what
the grapes offer and, if things turn out right, make
larger quantities. Not everything turns out well of
course, some are rejected, but others surprise and
motivate us to experiment further.
Experiments
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Oak-aged SyrahAnother of our experiments was with the Syrah
2018 vintage. We wanted to find out what different
types of barrels might afford the wine. We usually
make young wines from Syrah, but in this case, we
decided to age the wine in 500-litre heavy toasted
barrels to bring out its freshness. We are usually
not huge fans of heavy toasted barrels because
we believe that Monastrell benefits
more from lightly toasted barrels, so
as not mask the variety. However, the
impact of the heavy toasted barrel
on Syrah was pleasantly surprising.
The variety managed to maintain
the tension and balance with the
wood which, in turn, gave the
wine complex notes and body
– a very interesting combination.
Experiments
R&D collaboration
In April of this year, we signed a collaboration
contract with CEBAS-CSIC to develop research
into new value-added products using by-
products from the wine sector such as stems,
husks, lees, etc. in order to obtain intermediate
products for the food and cosmetic industries.
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This Claret is made from the Particiones
vineyard located in Tobarra, more precisely on
the road the links Tobarra to Ontur. The vineyard
is more than 50 years old. These old rootstock-
grafted vineyards are always a mixture of reds,
whites (Moravia).
Last year in Particiones, some of the Monastrell
vines were uprooted to leave 30% whites and 70%
Monastrell. As a result, we decided to make a
wine using the same proportions in just one vat.
We tipped both red and white grapes directly into
the vat without destemming or pressing, similar to
carbonic maceration. The aim was to respect the
vineyard’s personality in line with the philosophy
behind the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín project,
which is a collection of wines from individual
vineyards that seeks to bring out the expression
of the soils, the location and even the handling of
the vines by the winegrowers.
Due to the white grapes and the lack of
maceration, this wine is light in colour, almost
transparent, lying somewhere between rosé and
red. In the mouth, it maintains good tension due
to fermenting with its stems, and boasts both
body and complexity, which give it a very original
personality.
ClaretA N E W B R U M A
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International markets
Before the pandemic reached Spain, we already
knew 2020 was going to be a complicated year. First
because of the new tariffs imposed by Trump, and
second, because of the coronavirus in China. Both
aspects made us think that sales to both countries
would fall, which would inevitably affect our exports.
What we could never have imagined is that the virus
would reach Europe and in consequence, Spain.
However, it did. Prowein 2020 was cancelled along
with all our other planned business trips and events
on different international markets.
Despite the initial ups and downs, we continue
with our usual energy, ticking off the positives. In
conclusion, there was a fall in sales in 2020, as
expected, but we can thank our luck stars that we
continued to sell Monastrell around the world and
even managed to secure new customers in China,
the Philippines, Australia and the Ukraine.
Another huge satisfaction for us in 2020 was
how our wines performed on international markets.
Pacheco Monastrell Organic strengthened its
presence on the UK market, we were awarded a
Gold Medal in The Drinks Business’ Autumn Tasting,
and Patrick Schmitt MW highlighted Pacheco
Monastrell Organic 2019 in an article about the
best value-for-money wines in the UK. In February
2021, Decanter will include Pacheco Monastrell
Organic 2019 in its section, Weekday wines, which
highlights value-for-money wines under £25. We
are also delighted to see that our wines feature in
other international articles and magazine.
And lastly, renowned wine expert, Luis Gutierrez
has, for yet another year, asked for sample from our
Bruma del Estrecho de Marín range; a sure sign that
he still finds our single-vineyard project interesting.
We improve our scores every year, which drives us
to continue to develop and perfect our Monastrell,
aiming for a wine that is true to its terroir. Year after
year, our Parcela Mandiles, (also Gold Medal in The
Drinks Business’ Autumn Tasting) which boasts
exceptional high quality, is still regarded as one of
the bodega’s most iconic wines.
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Although the road
is long, it’s important to
keep going.
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Reinventing wine tourism
The wine tourism department at Bodegas Viña Elena has
lived through some very emotional times during the year, but we
are pleased to announce that we have launched a renovation
project involving the old ancestral home focused on tourism.
We believe this will enable us to tell our story in a different
way.
The beginning of 2020 looked bright, the agenda was full of
visits, but from one day to the next we had to cancel everything
and face the global pandemic. Those were very difficult mon-
ths, but summer came around and we began to do new things
at the bodega. After lockdown and the easing of restrictions,
we wanted to relaunch our wine tourism as an even stronger
product adapted to the new situation. Although every year we
have organised mass events such as music and wine, cinema
and wine, etc. this year things had to be different. Events
had to be smaller, such as Sensaciones. This series of singular
events gave customers the opportunity to enjoy magical Friday
evenings at the bodega in atypical tasting events that sparked
new sensations in those taking part.
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With a more reduced group than we are used to,
and taking every possible safety measure, our first
event was devoted exclusively to Vermucho.
During this special evening, we revealed the secrets
of and ways of enjoying this singular vermouth. We
first tasted Vermucho while it was still in the fermen-
tation process then tasted tree different cocktails
paired with tapas from the Los Tres Soles restau-
rant. Our aim during the event was to demonstrate
that Vermucho can be enjoyed at any time, not just
as an aperitive but also with an evening meal or even
a dessert.
The second event was an evening meal with a
food and wine pairing with special wines from the
Bruma del Estrecho de Marín range. The project
was briefly explained and samples of the soils from
the different vineyards were on display. Wine was
then tasted directly from a demijohn where Paraje
Las Encebras is aged. The meal was made by the
team at La Bien Pagá with the help of sommelier,
Antonio Chacón and was the perfect match for the
new vintages from the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín
range.
The third Sensaciones event of the summer fo-
cused on an evening of single-varietals. Together
with the team from Restaurante Loreto we gave a
tour of single-varietals by visiting three vineyards –
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell – then
prepared a meal paired with five different single-va-
rietal wines. This educational event focused on
the principal aromas of each variety in order to
make it easier for customers to identify the similari-
ties between each individual single-varietal.
We had planned a fourth event but had to cancel
the Bulk Wine Festival due to COVID-19, which did
not allow us to plan it as we would wish. However, we
are hopeful that the situation will improve soon so
that we can relaunch our wine tourism activities. The
events left us with a very good sensation, not only
because of their popularity but also because we put
our own ability to the test by organising events of
this nature and we feel proud of what we achieved
through hard work, commitment and teamwork.
We believe that this type of event is, without
doubt, the best way to connect with our public,
to help them feel and live a more intimate and
personalised experience in direct contact with
the bodega and the team, adapted to the ‘new
normal’. In the near future, we will have another spa-
ce dedicated to tourism: the old ancestral home.
The property is in the process of renovation and will
allow us to innovate and offer a very special place to
stay – we can’t wait to welcome you!
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We are a family-run bodega – 3rd and 4th
generations working side by side – that has
developed around the ancestral home, the origin
of our wine business: a farmhouse with a winepress
where our grandfather crushed his grapes by foot
to sell his wines locally.
Because we are located in a strategic
thoroughfare that communicates the Region of
Murcia with the Region of Castilla-La Mancha, our
bodega was the first that traders from the so-called
Huerta de Murcia (the kitchen garden of Murcia)
would pass on their way north. Our grandfather
seized the opportunity and began to sell his wines
further afield, which led to the foundation of
Bodegas Viña Elena way back in 1948.
Our aim is to give our ancestral home the
recognition it deserves: the old winery, the
winepress, the dovecot, the barn, the hay loft, and
show what rural life and work was like back in the
30s, 40s and 50s.
This is our history and our story. We have
inherited the values and passion for the business
from our forebears, and by renovating the house
we aim to pay tribute to our family tradition, from
our grandfather to the current generations, with
pride and gratitude for being able to offer a new
business line in wine tourism.
The project is aimed at people who want to
experience something completely different, who
really want to discover the region, its identity, its
character and its traditions. We aim to tell you the
stories behind things you can touch and see, in the
down to earth way you would expect from a rural
wine region such as ours. The rooms, structure and
configuration of the house will all be restored to
their original state and you will be able to visit, take
part in food and wine tasting events – the bodega
boasts a professional kitchen – and other types of
events in a rural atmosphere that will transport you
back in time.
Although we have tried to respect the existing
architecture of the property as much as possible,
we have had to make some modifications due to
technical and administrative reasons. However,
with the aim of conserving the property’s originality,
we have made the contrast between the modern
and the traditional clearly visible so as not to
conceal or imitate the past.
This year caught us off-guard right in the middle
of the renovation project, but we never give in. We
continue to work with even more determination
and energy with the aim of showing the public the
house where the Pacheco family grew up. The
idea of opening the doors of our home to small
groups, with its kitchen area and small rooms, is
a project we are passionate about. And the best
thing of all is that the essence and love of the family,
transmitted from generation to generation, can still
be felt within its walls, and very soon you will be able
to experience that too.
Our commitment to the futureW E A R E R E N O V A T I N G T H E P A S T I N O R D E R
T O T E L L O U R S T O R Y I N A D I F F E R E N T W A Y
Where are we heading?
We are planning to restructure the Bruma del
Estrecho de Marín vineyards, which will probably be
finalised at the end of 2021. Paraje Las Chozas and
Parcela Navajuelos will disappear to make way for a
new vineyard. Casa Quemada – the estate where
we dug the test pits – will start to operate. This
landscape is ideal for growing vines and has huge
potential and we feel passionate about showcasing
the value of its grapes to the world. The Bruma del Estrecho de Marín wine range as of December 2020
Casa Quemada
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Let’s hope our 2020
wines herald a future
where we raise our
glasses in a toast
to good health! And
we can all smile for
having overcome
these difficult times.
Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without permission from Bodegas Viña Elena, S.L©All images are protected by copyright. Nº 1, December 2020.
Murcia
JUMILLA
SPAIN
Paraje Estrecho de Marín s/nCtra. N-344 km 52,730529 Jumilla, Murcia. Spain (34) 968 78 13 40 [email protected]