How do you ensure that each winegrower contributes positively to the quality of the wine?
The foundation for the ultimate quality of the bottled wines is laid during cultivation, which is why we employ a viticulturist. He advises our growers across the whole range of issues: which grapes are suitable for which location, and questions about the care and ripening of the grapes – which is really the most essential thing. Not every cooperative makes the investment of having an expert like that on hand throughout the year. He knows every grower and every vineyard, and he can assess every wine harvest.
The secret of good wine is to pay the growers according to quality. Otherwise, they concentrate on producing larger quantities. But because our growers know that quality pays, they focus on that from the very beginning of the season. We have our own lab and test the harvest when the growers drive up with their trailers. We pay based on four criteria: alcohol content, colour, ripeness and general health of the grapes. Overall we determine a total of 30 values, such as the acidity, potassium content and fermentation activity. Winegrowers come from all over Spain to look at our system. Each year we have representatives from three or four companies as guests here. Our payment system is the most advanced in the whole country.