“Guimaro”, a Gallego word for rebel, could not be a more apt name for this great winery in the Amandi zone of the Ribeira Sacra. Twice before Guimaro rebelled against regional norms and are now... Read More

“Guimaro”, a Gallego word for rebel, could not be a more apt name for this great winery in the Amandi zone of the Ribeira Sacra. Twice before Guimaro rebelled against regional norms and are now releasing the fruits of their third rebellion.

The first rebellion was back in 1991, when Pedro Rodriguez transformed his parent's humble farm into a small estate producing D.O. wines available internationally. He was one of the true pioneers that pulled Ribeira Sacra out of its backwoods status.

The second rebellion occurred when Pedro met the great Raul Perez of Bierzo. Perez encouraged Pedro to work with old vines of indigenous varieties — especially Mencia — low yields and organic farming. Pedro starting making world-class wines sought out the world over. He became the star of the village of Amandi, and one of the crown jewels in José Pastor's amazing import portfolio of Spanish wines.

But recently Pedro has had some concerns as well as some new inspirations. As the climate continues to grow warmer he became concerned about his Mencia becoming over-ripe in his vineyards situated on Amandi’s incredibly steep, sun-facing vineyards. Like Pinot Noir and other delicate grapes, too much heat can lead to Mencia losing its focus, thus developing overripe flavors. The inspiration came from French wine, particularly the traditional method of making Cru Beaujolais using wooden casks with whole clusters.