Five wineries from the Spanish region of Extremadura are to increase their output of organic wine. Some 2,607 hectares of vineyard in Extremadura have already been classified as organic, and the companies are keen to gain a foothold in this increasingly important segment of the market.
Three of the wineries - Oro Tinto, Castelar, Juan Romero - are already members of the Consejo Regulador de Agricultura Ecológica de Extremadura (CRAEX), which regulates and promotes organic production in the region. The other two companies, CAVE San José and Medida, are in the process of finalising their admittance to CRAEX.
The leading 100 per cent organic winery in Extremadura is Oro Tinto, with an output of around 11,000 litres last year. The company's founder, José Manuel Lavado, told Europa Press that he had spent three years working on the creation of an all-organic winery.
"My objective is to create a special wine, in a different way, from the vineyard to the bottle," he said.
Bodegas Romero, meanwhile, has already launched an organic wine onto the market under the Pradomayo brand. The wine, which is made from 100 per cent organic grapes, is matured in oak barrels and is from the Ribera del Guadiana Denomination of Origin. It is a Garnacha/Tempranillo blend.
The company is planning to increase its organic wine output to 50 per cent of the total in the medium term.