Bodega Vihucas

In the Heart of La Mancha, the biggest wine area in the world, you can come and visit us any day, any time of the year. Just concert a date before comming.

The Vineyards

Bodegas Vihucas has 20 hectares of its own vineyards, which are divided between two plantations: the Camino de las Entras, with old Cencibel (Tempranillo) vines and La Sendilla, with Cencibel, Merlot, Graciano and Chardonnay vines. The vineyards are located in Villacañas (Toledo), 670 meters above sea level, in the heart of the La Mancha region.

DESIGN OF THE VINEYARD

Both the Sendilla varieties and the rootstocks have been selected after researching the climate and the soil, to ensure optimum adaptation of the plants to the characteristics of the land.

The vines grow on trellises and the design of the plantation offers the appropriate orientation (15º north east/south east) to ensure that the grapes receive more direct sunlight during the morning hours and are afforded greater protection in the afternoon.

The planting frames have the necessary height to allow for maximum foliage exposure. To exercise better control over the formation of the wall of foliage, rootstocks have been selected that are not especially vigorous to avoid the need for pruning during the “envero” ripening period.

The clones are taken from low yielding vines. Furthermore, green pruning is performed during the spring which, along with the green harvest during the envero ripening period, allows the vine’s production to be adjusted to its potential yield.

SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE OF WATER CONDITIONS

To optimize water resources, an electronically controlled drip irrigation system has been installed. In addition, the water stress of the grape vines is checked and reviewed using the latest dendrometric technology.

The dendrometer is a device that has one piece located in the trunk of the vine, to measure water stress, and the other in the soil, to assess the evolution of the water reserves. By means of a small solar panel, the dendrometer transmits this information via satellite so that it can be consulted live on the Internet. This provides optimum control of the plant, particularly during the "envero" ripening period and up to maturity (summer).

Bodegas Vihucas uses this technology in collaboration with prestigious universities and world-renowned investigators.