2019 La Perdida O Pando Orange
WINEMAKER: Nacho González
REGION: Galicia, SP
VARIETY: Godello
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic
O Pando Orange is a special, small production wine made from a selection of the Godello grapes used for O Pando that are left on the skins for a further 6 months in amphora without stirring, then bottled without fining, filtration or added SO2.
One might call the wines of La Perdida “Island Wines.” The winemaker, Nacho Gonzalez, would definitely call them that. He will also venture to call himself “an island” for having some of the most progressive views on natural winemaking in all of Galicia. As far as we know, Nacho is a winemaker unlike any other in this region of the world. A biologist by training, he turned to winemaking when his grandmother bestowed upon him a vineyard site named “O Trancado.” Nacho brought it back to life from total neglect, through good farming practices and a desire to save the old vines rather than rip them up and replant. The vineyard now produces some of the most fascinating red wines in all of Spain, with Garnacha Tintorera no less, a grape not typically lauded by winemakers. It was his grandmother who told him the old vines were magnificent and should be cared for, and it was here in this moment that La Perdida was born.
Nacho actively seeks out vineyards that are isolated and remote, hence the term “island wines.” Up the hillsides, away from other farms and down winding roads, he finds old abandoned vineyards and works to bring them back to health, following his grandmother’s advice. He currently works with six vineyard sites in what would be the DO of Valdeorras, totaling about 4 hectares of vines, and farms them organically with some biodynamic practices incorporated. He cites Bernardo Estevez as a friend, and recognizes that his journey in the world of wine is long and evolving. Nacho is a constant student of farming and meets regularly with winemaker-friends to discuss how to get the most out of their vineyards, all while respecting nature and the vine.