Cható GañánSilvia & Kike Prados
A tribute to the gañanes—the farmers who preserved these centenary vineyards. Honest, artisan wines from granite and quartz at 750-960 meters in the Sierra de Gredos.
From watching vineyards disappear to rescuing them—Silvia and Kike's tribute to the farmers of Gredos.
In 2014, Silvia and Kike Prados witnessed something that broke their hearts: centenary vineyards in their hometown of Cebreros—in the heart of the Sierra de Gredos—were being uprooted and abandoned. These old vines, planted by the region's farmers and peasants (known as gañanes), had been cared for through generations. But their low yields made them economically unviable in an era of industrial agriculture and bulk wine production.
The couple decided to act. They took over several inherited old vineyards and began recuperating others—parcels that had been neglected, that grew on slopes too steep for tractors, that produced too little to interest commercial wineries. Their project, named Cható Gañán (a playful nod to the local dialect and the farmers they honor), was born out of necessity: to take care of and restore respect for the old Garnacha and Albillo vines of Cebreros.
Today, they work roughly 6 hectares of centenary vineyards (60-110+ years old) scattered throughout the Sierra de Gredos, primarily in Cebreros and Navahondilla where their small winery is located. They produce between 5,000 and 7,000 bottles annually across 6-7 different labels, each vinified separately to express its specific terroir. Every bottle is bottled, labeled, and sealed by hand—a labor of love that honors the gañanes who came before them.
"Vinos vivos"—live wines that capture the climate, the land, and the tradition of Sierra de Gredos.
Cható Gañán's philosophy centers on respect for terroir and minimal intervention. They farm organically and sustainably, avoiding chemical herbicides or pesticides. Each vineyard is treated independently, with soil health, biodiversity, and vine balance at the center of their work. The goal is never to standardize the wines but to capture the unique character of each vineyard—the altitude, the granite soils, the climate, and the age of the vines.
Harvesting is done exclusively by hand, selecting only the healthiest clusters from each plot. In the cellar, the approach remains simple and natural: spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts (specifically identified as levaduras cebrereñas—indigenous yeasts from Cebreros), careful aging in used French oak barrels, and bottling without excessive filtration or clarification.
They employ traditional techniques including foot-treading (pisado) and varying percentages of stem inclusion (raspón) depending on the wine—sometimes 10-20%, sometimes 100%. No physical or chemical processes are used. The wines receive only a minimal dose of sulfur at bottling, and every step—from harvest to labeling—is done by hand.
Honoring Gañanes
Sierra de Gredos—granite, quartz and altitude at 750-960 meters, where old vines struggle on steep slopes.
High Altitude
Vineyards range from 750 meters (La Payana) to 960 meters (Le Bizarre site in Media Legua). These elevations in the Sierra de Gredos provide crucial freshness and diurnal temperature variation. The highest sites face north and northwest, preserving acidity in the Garnacha.
Soils
Decomposed granite soils with significant quartz presence and sandy texture. Some parcels have clay-loam mix (arcillo-arenosa), others are purely granitic with sand. The quartz gives the wines a distinctive mineral character and contributes to the "electric" acidity in the whites.
Small Parcels
Each vineyard is tiny—ranging from 0.35 hectares (Navaciegos) to 1 hectare (Le Petí Gañán, La Payana). Many are on slopes too steep for tractors, requiring all work to be done by hand. These are the vineyards that commercial wineries abandoned due to low yields and difficult access.
From the orange wine La Chanin to the off-dry Kisu—six labels that capture the soul of Cebreros.
La Chanin
The flagship orange wine—100% Albillo Real from a century-old vineyard at 780 meters with granite soil and large quartz presence. Completely destemmed, ~3 weeks skin contact in stainless steel, with lees stirring for 5 months. Then aged 5 months in used French barrels. Deep golden/almost amber color. Mature apples, apricots, yeast, iodine, honey. Full palate, slight tannin, electric acidity. Bottled by hand (~€16-22).
La Payana
From a 95+ year old vineyard in one of Cebreros' coldest zones, "La Payana." 1 hectare at 750 meters, granitic soil with clay-sand texture. Multiple Garnacha clones interplanted for complexity. Production only 1,500-2,500 kg. 20-30% stem inclusion, foot-trodden, spontaneous fermentation in used French barrels. No racking, no fining, no filtering. Serious, mineral, with the cold site's freshness (~€19-25).
Navaciegos
From a tiny 0.35 hectare parcel in Navahondilla, where the winery is located. 60-year-old vines at 785 meters on highly degraded granite soil. Purple color, red and dark fruits, dried herbs, coffee layer. Full, dense, concentrated with rounded tannins. Small part foot-trodden with stems, rest destemmed. Aged in 500L French barrels of various ages. Complex and structured (~€22-28).
Le Petí Gañán
"The Little Gañán"—from 110-year-old Garnacha vines at 925 meters in Cebreros. 1 hectare of granitic soil with high calcareous content. Production only 1,000-1,500 kg. 10-20% stem inclusion, foot-trodden, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous Cebreros yeasts. Aged ~11 months in used French barrels. More extraction than other Cható wines. Not "little" in quality—just the name to grow the family (~€20-26).
Kisu
"Kiss" in Japanese—an off-dry Garnacha (vino abocado/embocado) with 13 grams residual sugar. Traditional to Cebreros from long ago. Grapes harvested at optimal maturity, then fermentation is stopped by racking and pressing before completion, depriving yeasts of oxygen. This preserves acidity, minerality, and complexity without excessive alcohol. Aged in used French barrel. "As delicate or wild as a kiss" (~€19-24).
Morenillo Agromán
From the rare Morenillo grape—totally denostada (despised) in Cebreros for its large berries, low alcohol, and pale color. Likely a synonym of Morate. Grown on the same granite/quartz soils. Experimental vinification: 100% whole cluster fermentation in the oldest French oak barrel, aged 9 months. No racking, no fining, no filtering. A revival of a forgotten variety that others had abandoned (~€22-28).
Le Bizarre
"The Bizarre"—from a 70-year-old Garnacha vineyard in the Media Legua zone between Burgohondo and Navalmoral de la Sierra. 0.76 hectares at 960 meters—one of the highest sites. Granitic soil with sandy texture. Production 1,000-1,500 kg. 10-20% stem inclusion, foot-trodden, spontaneous fermentation. Named for something extravagant, rare, or unusual. Distinctive high-altitude character (~€22-28).
The Gañán Legacy
Cható Gañán represents something increasingly rare in modern wine: a project born not from ambition but from necessity. Silvia and Kike didn't set out to build a wine empire—they set out to save vineyards that were disappearing. In doing so, they have become custodians of a cultural heritage that extends beyond the vines themselves.
The gañanes were the farmers and peasants who, through generations of hard manual labor, preserved these centenary vineyards on slopes too steep for machinery. They worked with horses and hand tools, maintained bush-trained vines in the traditional en vaso style, and passed down knowledge of specific sites and varieties. By naming their project Cható Gañán and dedicating each bottle to these farmers, Silvia and Kike ensure that their contribution is not forgotten.
Their wines—whether the electric orange La Chanin, the off-dry Kisu reviving ancient tradition, or the rare Morenillo Agromán rescuing a despised variety—demonstrate that authenticity and quality are not mutually exclusive. Every bottle is bottled, labeled, and sealed by hand. Every vineyard is worked without tractors. And every vintage tells the story of the Sierra de Gredos: the granite, the quartz, the altitude, and the gañanes who made it all possible.
- 6 hectares of centenary vineyards (60-110+ years)
- 5,000-7,000 bottles annually
- Organic & sustainable farming
- Hand-harvested, hand-bottled, hand-labeled
- Foot-treading (pisado) tradition
- Variable stem inclusion (10-100%)
- Indigenous Cebreros yeasts
- Used French oak only (various ages)
- No fining, no filtration
- Minimal SO2 at bottling
- Granite & quartz soils
- Revival of "despised" Morenillo variety