{"id":1117,"date":"2012-09-13T18:17:12","date_gmt":"2012-09-13T18:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/?p=1117"},"modified":"2012-09-13T18:17:12","modified_gmt":"2012-09-13T18:17:12","slug":"there-was-once-a-man-named-angel-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/there-was-once-a-man-named-angel-september\/","title":{"rendered":"A Special 83 Year Old Winemaker Named Angel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>On a recent visit to Spain I had the opportunity to spend time with Angel Rodriquez, one of Spain\u2019s most revered winemakers.\u00a0 Anyone who has met Angel Rodriguez stands in awe of his tremendous accomplishment.\u00a0 Visiting this spry, witty 83 year old winemaker and his beloved Martinsancho Vineyard is a rare treat and valuable lesson in the value of dedication, history, and wine.\u00a0 Angel\u2019s story is the story of a unique grape called Verdejo.\u00a0 Although Verdejo is one of only a handful of truly noble Spanish white grape varietals, it was in serious danger of extinction by the early 1970s due to the pervasive planting of more prolific native varietals such as Viura and Palomino and the introduction of international favorites such as Chardonnay.\u00a0 Through his loving refusal to uproot his ancient 17th<\/sup> century vineyard called <\/em>Martinsancho, Angel Rodriguez saved the delicious, but shy bearing Verdejo from extinction<\/p>\n

The original majuelo or 17th<\/sup> century vineyard of Martinsancho comprises less than two acres of ancient vines, all of which are in excess of 250 years of age.\u00a0 These gnarled, ungrafted vines grow out of a bed of stones over thirty feet deep, preserved in isolation as a museum of pre-phylloxera viticulture and a continuing source of undisputed varietal authenticity.\u00a0 Once considered an anachronism and an economic liability, nurseries throughout Europe now treasure the Martinsancho Vineyard and its beloved Verdejo for the vine cuttings it provided and the viticultural legacy it has preserved.\u00a0 Yet, more than forty years ago no one seemed to care about this old vineyard with its unprofitable, extremely low yielding vines; in fact, few had even heard of Martinsancho\u2019s existence.\u00a0 Verdejo was on the verge of extinction as it was deemed not profitable enough then by most experts to preserve, let alone grow, despite the vine\u2019s noble pedigree and the undisputed quality of the wine it produced.\u00a0 Yet, in spite of the prevailing pressure and \u201cexpert advice\u201d to uproot the old vineyard, Angel Rodriguez preserved it, and then undertook the near impossible and what many have called sheer lunacy: he re-grafted Martinsancho\u2019s Verdejo by hand into 25 acres of a nearby vineyard with nearly identical soil \u2013 a monolithic undertaking.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, other Rueda growers have planted Verdejo with the help of Angel Rodriguez, to the point that today Verdejo is once again the leading white grape varietal in Rueda.\u00a0 For his great sacrifice and untiring efforts in favor of re-establishing Verdejo\u2019s prominence in its region of origin, Angel Rodriguez has been officially honored by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Yet, in spite of his great accomplishment and the recognition that has followed, Angel Rodriquez remains a humble man who believes in tradition.\u00a0 He steadfastly maintains a very low-tech approach to the natural production of his wine, which is totally organic and includes little or no added sulfites \u2013 a rarity, especially among white wines.\u00a0 Look for Angel\u2019s Rodriguez\u2019s outstanding 2011 Martinsancho Verdejo in an upcoming feature.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Don<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a recent visit to Spain I had the opportunity to spend time with Angel Rodriquez, one of Spain\u2019s most revered winemakers.\u00a0 Anyone who has met Angel Rodriguez stands in awe of his tremendous accomplishment.\u00a0 Visiting this spry, witty 83 year old winemaker and his beloved Martinsancho Vineyard is a rare treat and valuable lesson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[7,9,14],"tags":[18],"yoast_head":"\nMartinsancho Vineyard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Angel Rodriquez, one of Spain\u2019s most revered winemakers. 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Anyone who has met Angel Rodriguez stands in awe of his tremendous accomplishment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/there-was-once-a-man-named-angel-september\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WineMonthClub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-09-13T18:17:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.winemonthclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/A.Rodr\u00edguez-225x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Don Lahey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WineMonthClub\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WineMonthClub\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Don Lahey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Martinsancho Vineyard","description":"Angel Rodriquez, one of Spain\u2019s most revered winemakers. 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