Bodegas La Senda (“the path” or “the way”) is Diego Losada’s labor of passion in Bierzo, a mountainous wine region in northwest Spain. He organically farms 5 hectares of 60+ year old bush-trained vines in Bierzo’s rugged, rocky hills. 'Vindemiatrix' (= a female harvester, together with a play on “dominatrix”) is old-vine mencía with a smaller percentage of doña blanca - red and white grapes interplanted at 550 meters and co-fermented in the bodega. After a short maceration of 4-5 days, the wine fermented and aged for seven months in unlined concrete tanks. The finished wine was bottled without fining or filtration. It’s brambly and dark-fruited but savory and not too heavy, with smoky, earthy, and spicy notes. This is a wine that manages to be both powerful and refreshing. Drink it with a hearty stew, whether plant-based or full-on omnivorous.
