Spell-binding Secrets from López de Heredia

Let me spill a few secrets about one of the world’s most secretive wineries…

Finally out the other side of our illness, my husband and I debated which wine we would like to open to mark the end of our accidental abstinence. There is one that we always go back to, time and time again - Viña Tondonia of López de Heredia. The idea of opening it always transports me back to the winery, an experience I thought I would share with you all.

López de Heredia is one of those really magical producers shrouded in mystery and intrigue. The mould that covers its cellar walls is the stuff of wine trade legend and the faux front of their tasting room adds a touch of F. Scott Fitzgerald with a side of Platform 9 3/4.

Nestled in the heart of the historic Haro, Rioja’s old railway district and the epicentre of quality, the winery’s effortless blend of modern glass, traditional 1870s bodega and art deco beauty is a fitting prelude to what can be found inside. And for those lucky enough, as my husband and I were back in 2022, to enter through the rarely opened doors beyond the public tasting room reveal an Aladdin’s cave of treasures.

The first thing that caught my eye as we entered the lofty, vaulted ceiling original bodega was a pile of wood baskets next to an old press with bunches of sticks surrounding it. These baskets, José Luis explains to me, are for harvesting the grapes and they continue to use the traditional wooden ones when other producers have long been using plastic because the indigenous yeasts are washed away with the plastic ones. The bundles of sticks, he also tells me, are used to pass the wine through to remove the skins after pressing. I’m stunned. One man’s microbial nightmare is clearly their quality and complexity dream.