Viñedos
Fruit of labor and land
Currently, Bodegas Yuntero is made up of 1,095 members and has more than 17,000 hectares of its own vineyards, of which more than 1,500 are organically produced, achieving in some of them authentic environmentally sustainable systems, which allow obtaining this type of production, in an environment of considerable biodiversity. They present a wide range of white and red varieties, often grown organically for several decades.
Our vineyards are located in the region of La Mancha, which is characterized by the absence of rain during the summer, which means that the pressure exerted by diseases is very low. These soils are called “open calares”, with a very balanced texture that, together with the limestone, facilitates their correct aeration, and in which the Bodegas Yuntero vineyards fit extraordinarily, presenting a more than excellent development of their root systems. At the same time, the plantations are located on aquifer 23, generated by the Guadiana river that disappears underground after being born and feeding the Natural Area of Lagunas de Ruidera, an authentic oasis of La Mancha, and appears about 80 km further to the Northwest, in a straight line, forming the Tablas de Daimiel Natural Park. This aquifer provides support irrigation through a controlled drip system, so that the absence of rainfall, which helps us so much to control diseases naturally, is not a problem for the optimum plant development.
The strains of these vineyards embody the spirit of survival, tenacity and strength, as they are capable of withstanding the harshest winters and the scorching heat of the hottest summers.
Importance of Organic Agriculture in the vineyards of Bodegas Yuntero
Producing in a natural and sustainable way not only brings countless benefits to the environment, product quality and human health, but it is also becoming the most profitable way to care for our crops.
We avoid the use of large amounts of chemical active ingredients that are harmful to health and the environment, replacing them with more effective natural solutions to combat plagues and diseases, which are generally used in conventional agriculture.
Our Technical Department is absolutely convinced of expanding and making organic vineyards more profitable by learning more sustainable and enviromentally friendly, farming techniques which help us manage resources efficiently, improving the profitability of our partners/farmers, by saving energy costs, and agricultural inputs, and most importantly; seeking to improve the quality of the products, enhancing their native character that makes it different and sustainable.
The most representative white grape varieties are: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscatel, Viognier, Pedro Ximenez, Malvasía, Parellada, Verdejo, Macabeo and Airén; Regarding Red grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Garnacha Tintorera, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Malvec, Monastrel, Graciano and Pámpana Blanca. Most of them in Organic too.
Sustainability measures that Bodegas Yuntero is currently implementing
“Agriculture in general, and the way of managing our vineyards in particular, is undergoing a very rapid and profound transformation, towards a much more ecological, sustainable and resilient way of working. This change does not weigh us down, on the contrary, we are passionate about it, and it gives us an unrepeatable opportunity to make the most of it and enjoy it to the fullest”. Juan M. Jiménez (Field Technical Director).
Conventional Variety | He has. | Ecological Variety | He has. |
|---|---|---|---|
Airén | 2300 | Airén | 210 |
White | 300 | White | 10 |
Verdejo | 300 | Verdejo | 30 |
S. Blanc | 80 | S. Blanc | 20 |
Chardonnay | 85 | Moscatel | 5 |
Moscastel g.m | 50 | Cencibel | 185 |
Moscatel alley. | 20 | Syrah | 20 |
Cencibel | 1350 | Cabernet | 40 |
Syrah | 225 | Merlot | 30 |
Cabernet | 125 | Garnacha | 10 |
Merlot | 85 | Petit Verdot | 15 |
Garnacha | 70 | Malvec | 10 |
Petit Verdot | 30 | ||
Total | 5,020 ha. | Total | 585 ha. |
- Implementation of ultra-low volume drip irrigation, with lower flow and shorter distance between emitters, which is better suited to our soils and manages to apply support irrigation as efficiently as possible at lower cost.
- Change fertilization habits. We are reducing more than considerably the units of fertilizer provided per hectare, changing the traditional unit for units with a much higher level of use, applied at the right times. The current high cost of the fertilizer unit prioritizes the efficiency of the unit in terms of time and form over volume, and at the same time the fertilization practices of our vineyards become much more sustainable.
- Applications of beneficial microorganisms (fungi, bacteria and yeasts), nitrogen fixers and phosphorus and potassium solubilizers, which in addition to providing us with free units, improve the health status of plants and activate their natural defense systems, as well as increase the ability to better withstand stress conditions such as extreme heat, drought, frost, salinity, etc.
- Application of substrates in the drip line with high water retention capacity to improve its use.
- Digitalization: Satellite Image Processing (NDVI). Yield Maps. Sensorization. Plague predictions as well as diseases and critical weather conditions.
The average yield per Hectare is 40 Hectoliters.
In the coming years and motivated by the restructuring of the vineyards, there will be a considerable increase in new varieties, mainly red grapes.
