Bodegas Gómez
In the Middle Ages, Córdoba was a meeting point of Arab, Christian and Jewish cultures and religions. The sophistication and learning expressed in the surviving legacy of this period are incredible; it is sad to see the barbaric brutality with which the Christian Catholic Church destroyed this culture. Traces of that era make visiting Córdoba a fascinating experience.
About an hour north of Córdoba, amid a wild and remarkably unspoilt mountain landscape at 700 m, lies the village of Villaviciosa, where Toni and Gabriel Gómez grow their grapes under organic viticulture guidelines. In the winery, the grapes are made into a sherry-like Fino, the typical white wine of Andalusia. In the good old days, when ladies from well-to-do households still enthusiastically sipped sherry at afternoon gatherings and worldwide consumption of this wine style was correspondingly high, Villaviciosa also belonged to the Jerez production zone. Today, the wine must be marketed as table wine, but it continues to enjoy an excellent reputation in Andalusia.
Alongside Gabriel Gomez himself, 4 families participate in the organic farming project. They work with extremely low yields in this harsh landscape. Vines planted decades ago still stand mingled together: the field blend sought for wine quality was established in the vineyard itself. Thanks to the extreme climate, with summers exceeding 40 °C and very cold winters, fungal diseases are virtually absent. Only a few of the formerly numerous sheep flocks remain, but they graze in the vineyards during the cold months and provide organic fertiliser. The old vines bear only small quantities of healthy golden grapes with high sugar levels, harvested correspondingly ripe and concentrated. The young wine initially ferments conventionally in stainless steel, then rests in amphora-shaped 'tinajas' made from clay or concrete. For further maturation, it is transferred into oak casks stacked in several tiers and filled only 2 thirds full. Gentle oxidation is part of the slow maturation process; a layer of yeast that forms naturally in the cellar's climate protects the wine from excessive air contact. Wine is bottled from the lowest cask, which is then replenished from the upper tiers in proportions varying according to the desired wine style. Finally, the top tier is refilled with young wine...
At Gabriele Gomez, wine is made in a way that seems almost archaic at first glance, guided by feeling, instinct and experience. Not only knowledge is passed down through generations: the solera method also passes on portions of the wine. Every cask tastes different and ultimately forms a very small element of the finished product assembled by the cellar master.
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