Back in 1990, Feliciano Fidalgo assured us that wines from El Bierzo would become universal and also “that the Palacio de Canedo 91 Red by Prada is not only the symbol of the fine aromas of the Mencía of El Bierzo but that it is awakening El Bierzo”.

And he planted new vines on the old palace land and on other nearby south-facing slopes which soak up sun.

This was a challenge. These grapes had to be different, they had to be something extraordinary.

To achieve this, Prada did not need to sign up to the vogue or convenience of organic farming, which in so many cases seems to end up merely as a label or a doubt. He had no need. It had already been invented in all of these places, in all of this traditional farming steeped in experience and lessons learned. And so well before the vogue, these vineyards were being fertilized as always with organic fertilizers, compost which ferments its nutritional strength on the dung heap... forget the use of phosphate or nitrate which soaks the soil with chemicals... forget treating vine diseases with systemic products which contaminate and deplete the soil, but with sulphur or copper sulphate, which is an eternal rule.

And a vineyard rose in splendour with exceptional bunches on which in autumn the whole of an artist’s pallet is painted to enhance this landscape even more.