Mengoba

Grandfather Pérez left Spain to look for work in France. He was able to work as a grape picker in the vineyards of Bordeaux. Two generations later, wine crept back where it could not go; grandson Grégory Pérez did the same work as his grandfather as a side job at the age of fourteen and went on to study oenology at the University of Bordeaux. After his studies, he was able to start working in the cellars of Cos d’Estournel.

Stubborn
After a while of only cleaning barriques and learning a lot, Grégory began to miss the vineyards. His Spanish roots brought him to Bierzo in northwestern Spain. He started as a winemaker for others, to get to know the work and the grape varieties. But Grégory proved to be stubborn and thought he could do better without the restrictions of a boss. Moreover, he had stumbled upon a small treasure of neglected, but healthy vineyards from 25 to 80 years old. Mengoba was born.

The wine resembles its maker
The chalky and stony vineyards can only be reached by four-wheel drive and are ploughed by cows. Everything here has to be done by hand. No problem for Grégory: the muscles he builds in the vineyard come in handy as a rugby player. Thanks to the high altitude of the vineyards and the constant wind, hardly any pesticides are needed here; Grégory avoids using them anyway.
The Mengoba cellar is located in the small village of Sorribas, near Cacabelos. After a thorough selection, only the best grapes are considered for vinification. The result of this hard work are wines that reflect the passion and idiosyncratic character of their maker – who is also known as a flamboyant partygoer.