Matilda Nieves
Bodegas Rectoral de Amandi has more than 130 hectares of vineyards distributed on terraces in the sub-areas of Amandi, Quiroga and A Peroxa. This geographic complexity favors the existence of a climate marked by high temperatures in summer and mild in winter with little rainfall, and which allows the vines to receive as much sunlight as possible. The estate is a benchmark throughout the D.O. of Ribeira Sacra, for its quality and international recognition.
Mencía is the name of the variety of red grape most cultivated in the D.O. Ribera Sacra from the time of Ancient Rome. It grows in small, compact clusters, with medium-sized berries, an intense blue color and thick skin. It allows the production of very aromatic and fruity wines, with an intense color, and with aging possibilities.
The soil and the characteristics of the land are the most important qualities that highlight the essence of the Ribeira Sacra and that make the difference of our Mencía wines. In some cases the vineyards can be found on the hills with an inclination of more than 40% and bounding on the river, that is the reason why all grapes are hand-picked. The whole process is known as "heroic winemaking", as the wines of this D.O. are classified as originating from mountains with steep slopes, which must be climbed for hours once the grapes have ripened and are ready for harvesting.
In the vineyards, the cultivation and care of the vines is maintained in a traditional way due to the diffculties of the terrain, a herd of sheep is in charge of keeping the vineyard clean, they freely graze between the vines without damaging them, fertilizing the terrain and keeping it clean in a much more environmentally friendly way than any machinery and avoiding artificial fertilizers. Furthermore, in all the vineyards we have meteorological stations and temperature sensors that provide us with information that allows us to anticipate the appearance of fungal diseases and reduce the use of phytosanitary treatments, that is, only when the risk of disease is very high.
