Viñedos y Bodegas
December 2007
News Source: METRÓPOLI - EL MUNDO
Section: Comer.Vinos (Food. Wine)
Date: 7/12/07
DESIGN FOR A GALICIAN WHITE WINE
Bodegas Terras Gauda winery´s Francisco Mantecón poster competition consolidates in a sixth edition with entries from all five continents
Over 1,300 posters submitted, from 67 different countries, demonstrate the significance of the sixth edition of the Francisco Mantecón competition, organised by Bodegas Terras Gauda. The event was set up in memory of this Galician avant garde artist, who died six years ago, a member of the Atlantic movement and the creator of the winery´s corporate image. This year entries were received from such exotic sources as Armenia, Bangladesh, South Korea and Pakistan. This is hardly surprising, since the call for entries reached out to over 54,000 graphic designers, design studios and universities on all five continents. The biggest response to the challenge of producing a poster to reflect the winery's corporate image and its albariño wines Terras Gauda and Abadía de San Campio came from Spain, with 399 entries, and Italy, with 133.
News Source: LA GACETA DE LOS NEGOCIOS
Section: Empresas (Business)
Date: 5/12/07
Bodegas Terras Gauda buys «A Rosaleira» canning firm
The winery group Terras Gauda, whose wines are accredited under the Rías Baixas designation of origin, has acquired the vegetable-canning company Rosaleira. In the two-tier operation, 36% of the shareholders´ capital has been acquired, which has also been increased by 320,000 euros. In all, the Galician winery has invested 360,000 euros in the acquisition of the cannery. According to Enrique Costas, Terras Gauda´s director, the operation has been "an opportunity, but a one-off one rather than the beginning of diversification".
A Rosaleira´s products are distributed in delicatessens.
News Source: ABC
Section: Galicia
Date: 4/12/07
Bodegas Terras Gauda buys a vegetable-canning firm
Bodegas Terras Gauda continues its expansion and growth with the acquisition of 75 per cent of A Rosaleira, an O Rosal–based company founded in 1934 that makes traditional high-quality canned vegetable products, using natural preservation processes.
The arrival of the group, which is chaired by Jos María Fonseca, will give A Rosaleira a major boost abroad, opening up Bodegas Terras Gauda´s sales network and distribution channel in the 30 international markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas where the group is present.
The group will also strengthen A Rosaleira´s position in Spain, further consolidating the firm´s already significant presence in catering and food retail.
A Rosaleira produces a wide range of traditional canned vegetable goods, including natural turnip greens, tomatoes and mirabelles, processed by traditional methods.
By acquiring 75% of A Rosaleira, the O Rosal–based winery aims to extend the firm´s product range and position the brand in delicatessens and gourmet food sections in hypermarkets, while maintaining and strengthening the traditional-product philosophy.
Asimismo, Bodegas TERRAS GAUDA prev desarrollar una línea de conserva vegetal ecológica.
Bodegas Terras Gauda also plans to develop a line of organic vegetable conserves. Bodegas Terras Gauda launched its growth strategy in 2002 when it bought Bodegas PITTACUM, accredited under the El Bierzo designation of origin, positioning Pittacum and Pittacum Aurea wines on key markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia where the winery is present.
News Source: CINCO DÍAS
Section: Empresas (Business)
Date: 4/12/07
Terras Gauda buys the canning firm «A Rosaleira»
The winery group Terras Gauda has closed the acquisition of 75% of the capital of the vegetable-conserve manufacturer A Rosaleira, although the value of the operation has not been disclosed.
The company, which is chaired by Jos María Fonseca, explained that its entry into the canning firm´s capital will boost its international presence, thanks to Terras Gauda´s commercial network and distribution channels in the 30 markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas where it operates. Plans include extending A Rosaleira´s product range with organic products and positioning the brand in hypermarket delicatessen sections.
News Source: EL PAÍS
Section: Galicia
Date: 4/12/07
Terras Gauda takes over a mirabelle-canning firm
Yesterday the second largest producer of albariño wine in Galicia, Bodegas Terras Gauda, acquired a controlling stake of the long-established firm A Rosaleira, which specialises in canning mirabelles, natural turnip greens and tomatoes from the O Rosal district (Pontevedra province).
Terras Gauda has paid 460,000 euros for 75% of A Rosaleira, which turns over 0.5 million euros a year. The winery plans to increase A Rosaleira´s sales in Spain as well as launching it on the international markets where it already exports its own wines.
The takeover by Terras Gauda of A Rosaleira will create a mix of high-class food products, since the cannery specialises in canning and marketing high-quality traditional products. The firm hopes to establish a designation of origin together with its O Rosal wines for its mirabelles – fruit that look like grapes, which are typical products of the O Rosal area.
In business for over 70 years, A Rosaleira is the pioneering firm in Galicia when it comes to giving added value to natural products.
Terras Gauda is currently in the middle of a growth process in the food sector in general, while specialising in wines. Two years ago it acquired the Leon-based winery Pittacum , and for several months now has been negotiating the acquisition of a firm accredited by the Rioja designation of origin. The company turns over 7.6 million euros and sells 1.7 million bottles of wine, mostly albariño whites. The chairman of Terras Gauda, Jos María Fonseca, said that this acquisition would give A Rosaleira "a major boost".
News Source: EXPANSIÓN
Section: Galicia
Date: 4/12/07
HALF A MILLION EUROS INVESTED
Terras Gauda moves into vegetable canning with a traditional brand
The winery, which is based in O Rosal (Pontevedra) has acquired 75% of A Rosaleira to diversify its business and increase the profitability of its wine-distribution network.
Terras Gauda has invested over half a million euros in taking control of 75% of A Rosaleira, which makes traditional vegetable conserves. The winery, which is accredited under the Rías Baixas designation of origin, has acquired the stake previously held by one of the daughters of the company's founder, covering the subsequent increase of capital with 300,000 euros, from which the cannery´s other shareholder, who holds 25%, was excluded.
The investment will allow Terras Gauda to diversify its business with a range of products that are not only in line with its philosophy but also will permit it to increase the profitability of its current distribution network, primarily focused on the catering and delicatessen sector.
The winery, which is chaired by Jos María Fonseca and whose shareholders include Corporación Caixa Galicia and Sodiga, expects this move to provide a major boost for A Rosaleira, which specialises in making vegetable conserves by traditional methods, using no preservatives or other additives and ensuring that the least aggressive preservation method is used for each product. Although the cannery's range includes seasonal products such as wild mushrooms and beans, its best-known products are natural turnip greens and mirabelles.
Terras Gauda´s plans for A Rosaleira include promoting their products internationally and launching an organic range. "We´ll start work on the organic range next year", said Enrique Costas, the winery´s CEO. "Our sales network and distribution channels in the 30 markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas where we are present will allows us to position the conserves abroad."
A Rosaleira turns over half a million euros a year and has an average staff of 20 employees. Its plant is located next to Terras Gauda´s own vineyards, "making our commitment to the O Rosal area now even stronger", Enrique Costas said. The cannery was founded in 1934 by a chemistry teacher, whose daughters have been running the firm until now.
Terras Gauda, who in 2002 acquired Bodegas Pittacum, accredited under the El Bierzo designation of origin, expects to end the year with a turnover of nine million euros, 20% of which comes from foreign markets, despite the difficulties being faced because of the current strength of the euro.
News Source: LA VOZ DE GALICIA
Section: Economía (Economy)
Date: 4/12/07
Fonseca´s group invests 460,000 euros to take control of 75% of A Rosaleira
Terras Gauda buys Galicia´s largest vegetable-conserve firm
Bodegas Terras Gauda has recently acquired 75% of the vegetable-conserve firm A Rosaleira, the largest of its kind in Galicia. According to Enrique Costas, CEO of the group chaired by Jos María Fonseca, the investment made was 460.000 euros. This move by Terras Gauda coincides with the expansion on Spanish and international markets of one of Galicia´s leading wineries, which currently has 160 hectares of its own vineyards in production.
The firm has planned to diversify its business for some time, according to the CEO, "because the high-quality prestige product of Galicia´s longest-established cannery fits in perfectly with our structure and customers in the food sector, restaurants and catering". "A Rosaleira, which was founded in 1934, is a local family business using traditional methods, which gives it a competitive edge. There are lots of canneries, but none that are so consistent with Terras Gauda´s philosophy", Enrique Costas added.
Increase of capital
The operation was closed with an initial purchase of 36% of the firm – owned by the two daughters of the cannery´s founder, Jos Sánchez – from one of the owners who has left the business, followed by an increase of capital to cover 75% of the new company´s capital, which now totals 463,000 euros. According to Enrique Costas, immediate plans include "reviewing the product catalogues, repositioning products and developing a business plan to allow us to capture food and catering channels".
With this move Terras Gauda takes over 75% of the cannery, with the remaining 25% still held by one of the founder's daughters. The new firm will maintain the cannery´s current workforce of around 20 employees, but future upsizing to "maintain traditional production" cannot be discounted.
The arrival of the group, which is chaired by Jos María Fonseca, will give A Rosaleira a major boost abroad, opening up Bodegas Terras Gauda´s sales network and distribution channel in the 30 international markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas where the group is present.
t will also strengthen its position in Spain, where the cannery already enjoys a major presence in the same catering and food-product sectors where Terras Gauda achieves 30% of its total sales.
Last year the O Rosal–based winery sold 1.5 million bottles of its prestigious brands, Terras Gauda, Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra and Abadía San Campio. The firm´s current growth process began in 2002, with the acquisition of Bodegas Pittacum. Terras Gauda, which was set up in the late 1990s, was founded at the beginning of that decade by Viñedos Rosal and Adegas das Eiras.
Fifteen years' growth
A year later, it produced its first wine from albariño grapes, Abadía San Campio. After fifteen years of consolidated growth, Terras Gauda ended 2006 with an 18% increase in sales and a turnover of 7.6 million euros.
A Rosaleira, meanwhile, produces a wide range of traditionally made vegetable conserves. The new company also plans to develop a range of organic products.
November 2007
News Source: EL PAÍS
Section: Vida & Artes (Life & Arts)
Date: 30/11/07
Albariño wine with Belgian design
A line dripping down a bottle, green like the sweet flesh of albariño grapes, is the minimalist design that has won this year´s Francisco Mantecón International Poster Design Competition, organised by the winery Terras Gauda. The designer of the winning entry, who won a prize of 6,000 euros, is the Belgian illustrator and designer Thomas Pion (born in Brussels in 1978).
His poster will be used in next year's campaign to promote de Terras Gauda´s wines, which are present in 30 countries and sold under the Rías Baixas designation of origin (www.terrasgauda.com). 1,300 entries from 67 different countries were received by Terras Gauda in this sixth edition of the competition.
News Source: LA VOZ DE GALICIA
Section: La Mirilla (Look out)
Date: 18/11/07
Once upon a time there was … Paco Mantecón
This is the first thing most of the entrants do in the Francisco Mantecón competition that Terras Gauda has organised for the last six years. Thomas Pión, the latest winner, is no exception. The young Belgian designer confessed on Friday, 20 minutes after receiving the cheque for 6,000 euros for the poster that the jury liked best, that he had had to do a crash course in Spanish geography. And the wines of Galicia too, of course.
He didn´t have time to learn the language, though, so in order to find out how he had found about these awards I had to use my atrocious English. This, combined with Thomas´s own atrocious English limited our conversation to ten minutes. The Internet, that vast window on the world, was the culprit. That was where this young (28) graphic designer learned about the international call for entries made by the O Rosal–based winery. The same window that has meant that the number of participants just grows and grows. 1,300 entries were received this year.
Around 200 people from all walks of social, cultural, political, business and police life attended the call on Friday night by Terras Gauda´s chairman, who thanked what he called a demonstration of affection. It was time to reward talent.
In pride of place next to Fonseca on the stage were Dolores Villarino, Abel Caballero, Manuel Estrada, Alberto Luchini and Pilar Barreiro, Mantecón´s widow. And, of course, Fernando Ónega, the master of ceremonies who, in the host´s words, is a key fixture of the competition, since he has presented all the previous editions. "He demonstrates his affection, embraces us and we let ourselves be loved".
Friday´s event was a shower of flowers. The designer Manuel Estrada confessed that before Jos María asked him to serve as a member of the jury he only knew about the wine he made, but when he learned about all the people behind his business project, he understood everything. "His product isn´t just merchandise", he said.
Caballero, meanwhile, stressed the admiration that Fonseca inspires among business people, recalling their student days together in Santiago where, curiously, they also coincided with Dolores Villarino.
The chair of the Parliament, during a lengthy relaxed speech in tone with the whole evening, said that she was going to copy Fonseca´s idea to make his bodega universal, in this case applying it to the institution that she presides over: "I´m always promoting the Parliament, which isn´t very well known or recognised". She also remembered her time at university to stress that Jos María already showed signs of what was to come and congratulate him for being able to reach out all over the world without ever losing his roots.
News Source: ABC
Section: Galicia
Date: 17/11/07
The Belgian designer Thomas Pión wins the sixth Francisco Mantecón competition
The illustrator and graphic designer Thomas Pión travelled from Belgium to collect the first prize in the sixth Francisco Mantecón International Poster Design Competition, at an awards ceremony attended by such personalities as the chair of the Galician Parliament, Dolores Villarino, and the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero.
In this edition, Manuel Estrada, chair of the Madrid Designers Association and a winner of the LAUS award, was the key member of the jury, a position held in previous years by Javier Mariscal, Alberto Corazón, Óscar Marin and Isidro Ferrer.
The jury for the Francisco Mantecón Competition, who stressed the strong graphics of the entries received and the diversity of ideas proposed, was chaired by Jos María Fonseca, Bodegas Terras Gauda´s chairman.
Besides the first prize of 6,000 euros, the jury awarded the first runner-up prize to Alberto Jesús Vázquez Rico from La Coruña and the second runner-up prize to the Manigua agency from Granada. A Special Mention was also awarded to a poster from Italy, by Antonella Spagnoli.
This year 1,300 entries were received from 67 countries all over the world. The jury met on 26 October to choose 35 finalists, from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, the United States, Italy, Ukraine, Japan and different regions in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Navarre, Burgos, Guipúzcoa, Jan, Ciudad Real, Saragossa and Galicia).
In all, 399 entries were received from Spanish graphic designers and design studios, with a large number of entries also from Italy (133), France (89), the United States (68), Brazil (50), Mexico (44) and Serbia (28).
This year entries were received for the first time from countries including Armenia, Bangladesh, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. This growth, with designers from 20 more countries sending in posters, demonstrates the truly international scope that the competition now enjoys.
This sixth edition of the Francisco Mantecón International Poster Design Competition has been covered by major newspapers, the specialist press and websites all over the world.
News Source: EL CORREO GALLEGO
Section: Cultura (Culture)
Date: 17/11/07
The Belgian Thomas Pión wins the sixth Francisco Mantecón competition
The illustrator and graphic designer Thomas Pión travelled from Belgium to collect the first prize in the sixth Francisco Mantecón International Poster Design Competition, at an awards ceremony attended by such personalities as the chair of the Galician Parliament, Dolores Villarino, and the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero.
In this edition, Manuel Estrada, chair of the Madrid Designers Association and a winner of the LAUS award, was the key member of the jury, a position held in previous years by Javier Mariscal, Alberto Corazón, Óscar Marin and Isidro Ferrer.
The jury for the Francisco Mantecón Competition, who stressed the strong graphics of the entries received and the diversity of ideas proposed, was chaired by Jos María Fonseca, Bodegas Terras Gauda´s chairman.
Besides the first prize of 6,000 euros, the jury awarded the first runner-up prize to Alberto Jesús Vázquez Rico from La Coruña and the second runner-up prize to the Manigua agency from Granada. A Special Mention was also awarded to a poster from Italy, by Antonella Spagnoli.
This year 1,300 entries were received from 67 countries all over the world. The jury met on 26 October to choose 35 finalists, from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, the United States, Italy, Ukraine, Japan and different regions in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Navarre, Burgos, Guipúzcoa, Jan, Ciudad Real, Saragossa and Galicia).
In all, 399 entries were received from Spanish artists and design studios, followed by Italy, with 133 entries. Other countries with a high number of entries included France (89), the United States (68), Brazil (50); Mexico (44) and Serbia (28).
News Source: FARO DE VIGO
Section: Sociedad (Society)
Date: 17/11/07
AWARDS CEREMONY
The Belgian Thomas Pión wins the Francisco Mantecón awards in Vigo
The Belgian designer Thomas Pión received the first prize yesterday in the sixth Francisco Mantecón International Poster Design Competition, organised by Terras Gauda, beating 1,300 other entries. The awards ceremony was attended by the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, the chair of the Galician Parliament, Dolores Villarino, and the journalist Fernando Ónega.
October 2007
News Source: LA OPINIÓN DE TENERIFE
Section: ETC
Date: 14/10/07
Best practices in viticulture
When innovation produces the best wine
The Galician winery Terras Gauda makes its wines unique through research, while expanding in markets like the Canary Islands
T´S SERVED AT THE SPANISH KING AND PRIME MINISTER´S TABLES, AT EMBASSIES AND MAJOR EVENTS, SUCH AS THE PRINCE OF ASTURIAS AWARDS CEREMONY. TERRAS GAUDA´S ALBARIÑO-BASED WINE HAS ALREADY WON OVER THE MOST DEMANDING PALATES. THE CHALLENGE NOW IS TO KEEP GROWING IN NEW MARKETS SUCH AS THE CANARY ISLANDS AND STRESS THE WINE´S UNIQUENESS THROUGH RDI PROJECTS.
The Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination, where visitors are always willing to try new wines, and where the local cuisine is largely based on fish, have become one of the most significant domestic markets for TERRAS GAUDA. This fact was highlighted last week by the winery´s managing director, Enrique Costas, at a press conference attended by journalists from the Canaries, Asturias, Madrid and the Balearic Islands, held at the firm´s headquarters in Pontevedra.
Located in El Rosal, close to the river Miño to the south (the natural frontier with Portugal) the winery has 160 hectares of its own vineyards. Here they grow the three grape varieties used to make Terras Gauda wine: albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco. Ninety-five percent of the caiño grapes currently grown in the Rias Baixas belong to this winery. The firm has insisted on conserving the strain, given the excellent results obtained by including 10 percent of this variety in a mixture of albariño (70%) and loureiro (the remaining 20%) to create the unique flavour of their vineyards' flagship wine.
PERSONALITY. Emilio Rodríguez, the winery´s technical director, said that "it´s very hard to stand out from our competitors with only single-variety wines." This is why Terras Gauda have opted for a combination that not only gives their wine character, but has also won over the most demanding of markets. The walls of one of the main rooms of the winery show proof of this. The menus from various events at the Zarzuela Palace, the prime minister´s official residence, embassies in major European capitals, awards ceremonies and meals prepared by some of the most prestigious chefs are hung on these walls. Simply because the diners drank Terras Gauda wine with their meals. But prestige does not mean that Terras Gauda has no competition. Over a hundred wineries accredited with the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin now produce albariño wines like Terras Gauda. To stand out from the pack and address problems caused by the climate fluctuating between one year and the next and the risk of disease affecting the vines, the vine-growers have begun to invest in research. If it wasn´t already difficult enough to produce a good wine, doing so year after year is a highly challenging task (…)
(Two-page report illustrated with several photos)
News Source: EL COMERCIO - LA VOZ DE AVILÉS
Section: Yantar / Bodegas y Llagares
Date: 11/10/07
The magic, majestic Galician grape
The light, sublime touch of the finest oak
Terras Gauda was the first winery in Galicia, under the unrivalled management of Jos María Fonseca, to implement the oak-cask fermentation system, a challenge that few wine-makers were willing to take on.
The winery has consolidated its leadership as a producer of the finest quality Galician wines with such products as Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra, which have found success abroad and revolutionised the world of the albariño grape. Aware of all the risks involved in giving the superb albariño grape the light, sublime touch of the best wood, this winery has manager to achieve excellent results, encouraging other wineries with the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin to follow their example.
Terras Gauda have 160 hectares of their own vineyards in the valley of O Rosal, in Pontevedra province. The vines are planted on gentle slopes bathed by the midday sun, on the banks of the river Miño, with the positive effect of the nearby Atlantic Ocean, where the albariño grape grows in its element, together with its fellow native varieties, loureiro and caiño blanco.
The winery sold 1.5 million bottles of its 2006 production of Terras Gauda, Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra and Abadía de San Campio wines, the latter unjustly eclipsed by its big brother, the Terras Gauda that gives the winery its name. A very pleasing white, with a fruity, fresh aroma, rich in subtleties, strong in the mouth and with a long aftertaste, qualities that have earned it numerous awards, including gold medals at Vinexpo, at the World Competition in Brussels, and, closer to home, at the Albariño Fair held every year in Cambados. The winery has captured nine new international markets in recent months and is now present in 30 countries, as well throughout Spain. (…)
(Two-page report illustrated with several photos)
More information
News Source: EL DÍA (Tenerife)
Section: Gastronomía
Date: 11/10/07
"In Situ" RÍAS DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN BAIXAS BODEGA TERRAS GAUDA
Albariño, an identifying mark
It is rare, although categorical, for the type of grape to be used as an unmistakeable reference to indicate the wine that is made from it. A Moscatel wine or a Chardonnay exemplify the degree of protagonism that other vine varieties have never been able to match.
The albariño grape, which is small, firm and very tasty, symbolises the "appropriation" of this name as an icon for this Galician wine all over the world. Thanks to the stirling work of the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen, Rías Baixas Designation of Origin Regulatory Council, these wines have achieved a well-deserved reputation at the very top of the list of excellent white wines, including in the Canary Islands.
The wine-makers´ concerns are no longer limited to ensuring that consumers enjoy their albariño wines, but also to teach them more about where they come from and the magic of this part of Pontevedra province, with special features that make it unique. Part of this general process of transformation and modernisation – and also proliferation – is due in no small part to the winery we are looking at today, Terras Gauda, which has become synonymous with doing things properly, striving forward and opening up interesting new paths for research based on the quality of the raw material and therefore, by extension, the wine.
O Rosal.- During a rapid but intense visit to the facilities and vineyards close to the Portuguese border, near Tui, while the year´s harvest was being brought to a close, the firm´s senior management explained the philosophy and actions that have led to Terras Gauda breaking so successfully into such markets as the United States, Norway and the UK, as well as the whole of Spain.
Much of the firm´s solvency can be attributed to their Terras Gauda wine, an exceptional blend of the native grape varieties albariño (70 percent), loureiro (about 20 percent) and the fascinating caiño blanco (10 percent), which the winery has worked hard to salvage. This white, with an extraordinary personality, structure and persistence in the mouth, presents subtle differences from single-variety wines. The 100-percent albariño Abadía de San Campio, with optimal acidity to accompany, for instance, oysters, shellfish, fish dishes, bears the unmistakeable stamp of Terras Gauda.
Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra, matured in oak, and the red wine made with the mencía grape, Pittacum (D.O. Bierzo), Barrica and Áurea, complete the range.
Enrique Costas (Managing Director), Emilio Rodríguez (Technical Director) and Augusto Álvarez-Borrás (Sales Director) gave details to the press about all the wineries areas of action, including three research projects into clone selection of albariño grapes; isolating and selecting ecotypic yeasts, and a project for mashing albariño, loureiro and caíño blanco.
The hosts also demonstrated the virtues of these excellent wines by pairing them with some of the star dishes of Galicia´s fine cuisine.
More information and several photos
News Source: DIARIO DE IBIZA
Section: Gastronomía
Date: 6/10/07
Unique albariños
Terras Gauda developis R&D projects to reinforce their wines´ uniqueness
Terras Gauda, one of the leading Galician wineries, known the world over for their fine, unique albariño-based wines, recently presented to the media their RDI projects with a view to reinforcing the uniqueness and distinctive characteristics of their wines. The winery is currently running three research and development projects in parallel, based on clone selection of albariño grapes, isolating and selecting ecotypic yeasts, and a mashing Project for the three grape varieties grown in the winery´s own vineyards in the valley of O´Rosal: albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco, the latter a variety that is being recovered by the Terras Gauda research team, because of its unique value in the making of their flagship wine.
According to the managing director, Enrique Costas, the winery combines its research work with expansion into new national and international markets, with the goal of beating the 18% growth they recorded in 2006 and moving into new emerging markets for the firm, such as Sweden, Finland, Taiwan, Korea, Canada, Argentina, Colombia and Panama, and increase their sales in consolidated markets, including the United States, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Mexico and Norway.
The firm sold 1.4 million bottles of their Terras Gauda, Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra and Abadía de San Campio wines in 2006, with a turnover of 7.6 million euros. The company is now present in 30 countries. Thirty percent of Terras Gauda´s sales are consumed in Spain, with the Canary and Balearic Islands at the top of the sales list, largely because of the local cuisine´s reliance on fish dishes, which strengthen the consumption of albariño wines. Ibiza is a particularly strong sales area for Terras Gauda, with a major increase in consumption in recent years. The US television network NBC recently chose Terras Gauda as one of the ten wines most appreciated by Americans, and the prestigious magazine Wine Spectator awarded the wine its highest possible score, demonstrating the degree of international recognition of the quality of one of Galicia´s best known wines.
News Source: DIARIO DE AVISOS
Section: Gastronomía
Date: 5/10/07
Terras Gauda researches the albariño grape variety
By selecting ecotypic yeasts and micro-winemaking
Bodegas Terras Gauda has presented a new project to strengthen the uniqueness and character of its wines, stressing the selection of natural grape yeasts.
Terras Gauda is one of Galicia´s leading producers of albariño-based wines, with 70 hectares of its own vineyards.
The firm makes the wines "Terras Gauda", a blend of albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco, the single-variety albariño "Abadía de San Campio" and "Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra", a luxury blend that is matured for four months in French-oak casks.
All these wines are notable for their carefully controlled sharpness, making them ideal to accompany grilled fish dishes, shellfish, etc.
Continuing their previous areas of research, selecting grape clones and ecotypic yeasts, the winery is now exploring the mashing the three varieties produced: albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco.
With this in view, they have carried out preliminary studies mashing the three grape varieties for a certain time at optimal temperatures, and making small batches of wine, to the determine temperatures and times to be used with actual production volumes.
The objective is to discover whether, while maintaining the traditional Terras Gauda approach, the characteristics that have made it special can be emphasised even more by optimising the mashing process and yeasts used.
This project will be added to the results obtained from the study of the selection of albariño clones and selection of ecotypic yeasts.
The conclusions of the project are that, after three years´ work, one of the four yeasts isolated matches the ideal profile for full fermentation, with positive aromatic results with a view to heightening the wine´s uniqueness. The yeast selected will be used with this year´s harvest to test how it responds to full-scale fermentation.
News Source: LA VOZ DE ASTURIAS
Section: Suplemento Boca2
Date: 4/10/07
Wine innovation > The winery
Unique wines from Terras Gauda
Bodegas Terras Gauda has given a further push to its RDI projects to heighten the uniqueness and character of the firm's wines. The winery is currently running three research and development projects in parallel: clone selection of albariño grapes, isolation and selection of ecotypic yeasts and a project to study the mashing of the three grape varieties produced: albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco.
Terras Gauda, which has 160 hectares of its own vineyards in the valley of O Rosal, in Pontevedra province, has sold 1.5 million bottles of its 2006 Terras Gauda, Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra and Abadía de San Campio wines …
(Page report illustrated with several photos)
News Source: DIARIO DE MALLORCA
Section: Gastronomía
Date: 2/10/07
Terras Gauda, a pioneering winery in research
The Balearic Islands are among the strongest markets for this Galician firm´s wines
Research is one of the areas that are starting to appear in the targets and investments of several Spanish wineries, within their RDI strategies. A clear example of this is the success achieved by the firm Terras Gauda S.A., based in Pontevedra province and accredited with the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin, which produced one and a half million bottles of its 2006 harvest.
The winery is now present throughout Spain, with the Balearics among its most important markets, after Catalonia, the Cantabria coast and the Costa Blanca. Internationally, the firm has recently added nine more countries to its roster, making a current total of thirty foreign markets where it is now present. As the managing director, Enrique Costa told journalists from Asturias, the Canaries and the Balearic Islands, including the Diario de Mallorca, at the winery´s headquarters last weekend, the business goal of the management team he leads, including Emilio Rodríguez, the technical director, and Augusto-Borrás Massó, the sales director, is for sales to be shared equally by the local, national and international markets, reserving about ten percent for the restaurant sector. The company´s foreign and diversification initiatives have included the acquisition in 2002 of Bodegas Pittacum, based in El Bierzo and accredited with the local Designation of Origin, producing two single-variety red wines with a native grape variety, mencía, one of which is matured in oak for six months and the other for fourteen months.
Following the stipulations of the regulations of the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin Regulatory Council, the firm makes its wines with native white varieties, albariño (70%), plus loureiro and caiño blanco, in similar proportions. Caiño blanco is a Galician variety that is largely being recovered by this firm, since over 90% of its production is in the winery´s hands.
Because of long-standing habits in the Galician countryside, where many traditions are still jealously guarded, one of the problems is the scattering of vineyards, with complicated property rights often thwarting attempts to acquire new plots. This winery, located in As Eiras, in the O Rosal district, very close to the river Miño, now has 160 hectares of its own vineyards.
September 2007
News Source: SUPLEMENTO ECONÓMICO DE LA VOZ DE GALICIA
Section: Innovación
Date: 30/09/07
Rias Baixas leading new research developments
Terras Gauda have recently finished selecting albariño grape clones and has now launched another two specific projects to perfect techniques and processes in the fields of yeasts and mashing
The projects to select albariño variety clones, select yeasts and study mashing are three of the research programmes being developed in Galicia to improve wine production. The winery Terras Gauda is behind all three. The first, to select grape clones, began four years ago and has borne fruit this year. The goal of the project, which was divided into three phases, was to select a set of clones of the albariño grape variety. These clones stood out from the others in both field and vineyard terms. It was important to determine such factors as grape-bunch formation, vine leaves and the grapes themselves, as well as resistance to disease and bad weather. (…)
(Two-page report illustrated with several photos)
News Source: EL ECONOMISTA
Section: Empresas
Date: 27/09/07
Terras Gauda use bioengineering to make their wine inimitable
Terras Gauda have turned to science to ensure that their wines are unique. The winery, based in O Rosal, in Pontevedra province, is behind three RDI projects to enhance wine quality. The firm sold 1.5 million bottles of wine made from its 2006 harvest throughout Spain and on 30 international markets.
This R&D commitment has helped the firm´s turnover to grow by 18 percent to stand at 7.6 million euros.
The first project is to select albariño grape clones, allowing them to choose from among 115 vines that have been cloned on a plot with a combination of four or six specimens for grafting, to assure quality production. The winery has also researched the selection and isolation of ecotypic yeasts in its vineyards, allowing four dominant albariño profiles to be isolated.
Finally, they are also looking into the grape-mashing process. The aim of this study is to test various modalities and times to make their wines unique.
News Source: ABC
Section: Galicia
Date: 26/09/07
Terras Gauda develops a mashing project to strengthen uniqueness
Bodegas Terras Gauda has given a further push to its RDI projects to heighten the uniqueness and character of the firm's wines. With a view to continuing research into selecting albariño grape clones and ecotypic yeasts, the winery is opening up new areas of research with a project to explore the mashing process used for the three grape varieties produced: albariño, loureiro and caiño blanco.
Bodegas Terras Gauda has carried out preliminary studies mashing the three grape varieties for a certain time at temperatures considered optimal. During this harvest they will analyse the musts and wines obtained from small batches made, with a view to defining the number of temperature and time tests to be carried out with actual production volumes next year. The objective is to discover whether, while maintaining the traditional Terras Gauda approach, the characteristics that have made it special can be emphasised even more by optimising the mashing process.
This RDI project will be added to the results obtained from the study of the selection of albariño clones and selection of ecotypic yeasts.
The conclusions of the project are that, after three years´ work, one of the four yeasts isolated matches the ideal profile for full fermentation, with positive aromatic results with a view to heightening the wine´s uniqueness. The yeast selected will be used with this year´s harvest to test how it responds to full-scale fermentation.