Pepe Cadavedo, Director of the programme "Protagonistas a gusto", Punto Radio
"If one looks at where these wines are produced ....they are cheap"
When did you first become aware of the Ribeira Sacra?
I have known about it for a long-time. Somebody once said, ' if it didn´t exist, it would have to be created' and I believe that this is true of the Ribeira Sacra. It is a marvellous place, where great care is taken over the wine, heroic cultivation as they call it. If one looks at where these wines are produced ....they are cheap. When you see the process, the harvesting of the grapes, how they are carried in crates,....if this was included in the price, it´s cheap.
How do you see the wines of the Ribeira Sacra at this point in time?
In a few years they will be making excellent wines with a high point rating. Parker awarded several wines from the D.O. with more than 95 points and this is important for the Ribeira Sacra as it shows that things are being done well.
At a market level, in Spain, for example, it is difficult to compete with Rioja or Ribeira del Duero because they are well-established wines. But the Ribeira Sacra is moving slowly and I believe it is doing well, the bodegas are small, with limited production...In a few years there will be a lot of people talking about the wines of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra.
What is special or different about the wines of this D.O.?
The problem with wine is that there is so much of it! Today in Spain they are making very good wines in all the D.O.s, the competition is stiff and, therefore, to break through isn´t easy. In the case of the Ribeira Sacra, when people see how the vines are grown, it´s incredible! Who thought of producing wine here. It´s cheap, charge what you like and it´s cheap! And if we add to this the fact that they are making excellent wines, I can guarantee that the wines of the Ribeira Sacra are a good bet for the future.
Do you really think that consumers are thinking about the work that went into producing the wine when they are drinking it?
It depends on the person, but it isn´t going to make you like it more or less. When you are drinking it you can appreciate it more, but you either like the wine or not. But I do believe that in Spain there is beginning to be an important wine culture, already people are asking for D.O. wine or asking for particular labels, people are going to tastings,... This is important because it is the consumer who drives the market and if they are becoming more educated about wine, it makes the wine producers and bodegas excel themselves in order to improve their wines year after year. This is happening in the Ribeira Sacra.
Will the crisis affect wine consumption?
In Spain. In Galicia we will always drink wine. I don´t think that wine consumption will decrease with or without the crisis, it´s possible that there is a general trend in consumption, independent of the crisis, for the wines from small D.O.s or those relatively recently created to go up and for demand to go down for Riojas and Ribera del Dueros.