Carraovejas P.

The story of Pago de Carraovejas: José Maria Ruiz, founder of Pago de Carraovejas, is called upon to represent Spain at the first World Sommelier Competition, held in Milan. The wine culture in Spain has not enjoyed during these years the prestige and popular and professional recognition it enjoys today, but José Maria Ruiz, along with the other Spanish representative "Pedraza", has obtained a 5th place meritorious among more than 60 countries. This experience marked the beginning of the fermentation of ideas: his desire to create his own restaurant, with his own piglets and his own wine. The development of wine culture in other countries and the importance given to wines elsewhere have led José Maria to learn and learn in depth the process of making and tasting wines. 02 The Beginning "There are men who fight for a day and who are good, there are those who fight for a year and who are very good, there are those who fight for many years and who are better ... but there are those who fight all their lives. , these are the ones who are essential." Bertolt Brecht In 1982, the restaurant José Maria was born in Segovia, transforming the concept of wines served in Castilian inns. Eliminate the traditional jug to make way for bottled wine, making sure that the temperature and the good service of the wines are as good as possible. Years later, José Maria Ruiz Benito, a great connoisseur, even at that time, of the potential of the Ribera del Duero, had the great illusion of creating his own wine to accompany the suckling pig, the star dish of his restaurant in Segovia. Even the Ribera del Duero was almost a big unknown, but his drive from previous years to improve the processing of wine in his hotel establishment, had led him to immerse himself in the lands and wines that existed in the region. It was clear that his dream was to make a different wine that would be the great ally of the suckling pig. In 1987, José Maria Ruiz, together with a group of wine-loving Segovians, led the project to create a winery in a good region for red wines. The place chosen was the slopes of Carraovejas, in Peafiel, mainly for three main reasons: The first of these, to be the great historical center of Ribera del Duero wines and to be the region with the most future for Spanish wines. The second, because of its geographical proximity to Segovia. And the third, and perhaps the most important, because the slopes of Carraovejas were considered by the elders of the city as the best ripening area of the region. Not a few studies have shown this. There is no doubt that the situation, the terrain and the climate are a big part of it. The site was Carraovejas. It was enough to add a quality and avant-garde component that would optimize the favorable conditions that this neighborhood can offer at all levels. Only in this way was it possible to make the first Ribera del Duero wine at 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, at a time when Tinto Fino was the absolute king. Similarly, they were pioneers in the use of French oak in the Ribera del Duero and in the drip irrigation plant throughout the field, a system that allows to provide the necessary water, rationally and specifically, by improving the quality of the expected red grapes. livestock and reserves. 03 Present and future "The only way to do a good job is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle for it. As with everything in the heart, you'll know when you find it. " Steve Jobs The first harvest of Pago de Carraovejas dates back to 1991, the result of some 70,000 kilos that yielded the first 25 hectares of production. In the following years, the vineyard and the winery will multiply by successive expansions thanks to a continuous growth but also slow and thoughtful, always governed by the criterion not to lose a quality iota, currently reaching 200 Ha. To this vineyard, we must add the more than 14,000 m2 of buildings that we currently have. Facilities where tradition and avant-garde meet, with the most modern technologies and a deep respect for natural processes, always looking for continuous improvement through investments in various research, development and innovation projects.