Respect and admiration for her grandfather led Xulia Bande to continue his work in the family vineyards. Bodega Son de Arrieiro is her tribute to him and to all the ‘arrieiros’ (muleteers) who made Ribeiro wines famous throughout Spain, transporting them “on the backs of their mules” in the days before trucks and motorways!
Xulia inherited her grandparents’ properties 29 years ago. Because the terrain is difficult to access, much of the surrounding land was being abandoned at the time. So, she had a clean slate to farm the three hectares of steeply terraced vineyards according to her strong environmental principles. Therefore, she practises 100% natural viticulture without insecticides or herbicides, controlling cover crops with animal grazing.
Yields are low, averaging only 800g per vine, with 50% of production coming from vines older than 80 years. The remaining wine is made from near-extinct grapes, which they bought from other estates and which they grafted on to their own rootstock. The varieties she works with are all native to Galicia – Treixadura, Lado and Loureira for white wines; Sousón, Brancellao, Caíño Tinto and Ferrol for the reds.
