Laura Lorenzo - Daterra Viticultores

“Daterra Viticultores owes its name to the many women and men who have spent the course of their lives on the Manzaneda mountainsides in the Bibei valley cultivating these vines, and who entrust Laura Lorenzo to carry on their culture.”

Galicia, with its storied wine history dating back to Roman times, has been experiencing a renaissance since the turn of the century.  While Albariño from Rías Baixas has become a recognized, popular grape worldwide, the work of promoting the other Galician appellations is ongoing.  The quality has always been there, and continues to ascend with young and talented winemakers who understand and can translate terruño to bottle.

While there are a few pioneers at the forefront of this movement, homage must be paid to one of the most influential viticultores, Ourense native Laura Lorenzo.

Drawn to the vines as a teenager, Laura attended oenology school. She began her winemaking apprenticeship at Adega Cachín, then overseas with Eben Sadie in South Africa, and Achaval Ferrer in Argentina.  She returned home to take over winemaking duties at Dominio do Bibei, a cutting edge, modern winery in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra.  Laura spent a decade honing her craft, developing a natural style of winemaking fitting for the hillside terruño around Val do Bibei. 

In 2014, Laura embarked on her own personal project and winery in the village of Manzaneda, Daterra Viticultores, focused on estate vineyards using biodynamic techniques that promote the health of the soils, creating a sustainable ecosystem for the future.  Aside from cultivating the main grapes Godello and Mencía, she also works with native varieties such as Brancellao, Mouraton, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Gran Negro, Palomino Fino, Doña Blanca, Colgadeira, Malvasia, Verdejo, and Puesta en Cruz, among others.

In the winery, Laura’s approach is low-tech and non-interventionist.  Fermentation with native yeasts, no fining or filtration, and little added S02.