The Man... Ramon Losada and his family farm very old vines on the banks of the rivers Sil and Miño. They labor to make wine that is a correct expression of its homeland. Losada farms organically, in search of perfectly ripe fruit. His friend and fellow winemaker Gerardo Mendez of the Do Ferreiro winery advised Ramon on how to convert to natural agriculture. In the cellar, Losada’s techniques remain focused on authenticity of flavor. Viña Burato is not filtered. To filter would reduce flavor complexity in the finished wine. Losada also avoids cold stabilization, a procedure that precipitates solids out of wine, in theory making the wine easier to sell to consumers. This technique does not improve the flavor of the wine, yet it is commonly practiced by more technology-obsessed commercial wineries. Cold stabilization is an additional manipulation, extraneous to flavor quality, that allows for the possibility of loss of character in a wine.

The Land... Galicia is poor. In fact, it is the least prosperous region of Spain. It is a green, beautiful area, scenic in a way that is at times reminiscent of Ireland or Norway. Celts settled here. Rivers cut deeply into the landscape, the coast is jagged, wet and cold. Its people have a history of hauling a livelihood from the water. We’re a long way from La Mancha. Above Portugal, perched on the edge of the Atlantic, Galicia does not fit the visual stereotype of Spain. The vineyards of Ribeira Sacra (Losada’s neighborhood) are inland and disconnected from well-known white wine producing areas on the west Galician coast. Vineyards here are so steep that dumbwaiters are often used to lower fruit down from the vines. In spite of this daunting physical obstacle, grapevines have been cultivated in Ribeira Sacra since Romans were doing the farming.

The Wine... Vino do Burato is harvested from 80-year-old vines on the banks of the Miño. Slate soils add minerality, complexity and concentration. The wine is 100% Mencia, a grape that produces many interesting wines in Rueda and Galicia. Vino do Burato is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, to keep vibrancy in the wine. A Beaujolais comparison is perhaps inevitable: this has the fun, charming aspects of a good Chiroubles, or other lighter-in-body cru Beaujolais.