Sitios de
Bodega
Rueda | Spain
Ricardo Sanz is a sixth generation winemaker in
the Rueda region and alongside his brother Marco and his sister
Alejandra, launched Sitios de Bodega in 2005. They have a thoroughly
modern approach to winemaking - concentrating on the native variety,
Verdejo, and organic viticulture. The winery is surrounded by the
estate vineyards, which total 50 hectares of ecological vines
distributed between the localities of O Rueda (90%) and Pollos
(10%). Historically, the Duero river region has seen production
since the 11th century, when monasteries planted vines to supply
themselves and King Alfonso VI’s royal court. Until recently, the
principal grape of the zone, Verdejo, was vinified like a sherry and
allowed to oxidize. This practice was eliminated in the 1970’s,
whereupon the Sanz family began working with the varietal as one of
the few winegrowers to harvest at night exclusively by hand into
small crates. Planted in high altitudes in pure chalk, and finished
with a small amount of lees stirring to add texture and body. The
Sanz dynasty in Rueda is legendary and their importance in terms of
innovation cannot be underestimated. Each generation, dating back to
1860, has pioneered some technology - from owning the first
mechanical press, to producing the first fresh (non-oxidised) wines
of the region, to the holistic approach to farming, incorporating
organic viticulture.
office (206)
332-1995