Daterra ViticultoresLaura Lorenzo
From the land. A tribute to the families who kept viticultural history alive on the steep slopes of the Bibei Valley—rescuing 80-120 year old vines through agro-ecology and minimal intervention.
From Allariz to South Africa and back—how Laura Lorenzo became the voice of Val do Bibei.
When Laura Lorenzo was 16, growing up in Allariz (Ourense, Galicia), she told her parents she wanted to be a winemaker. They sent her to the local enology school, where she began her formal training while still a teenager. After graduation, she worked at a local winery, then set off to gather experience across the globe—apprenticing with Eben Sadie in South Africa and Achaval-Ferrer in Argentina. These formative experiences shaped her commitment to terroir-driven, low-intervention winemaking.
In 2004, she returned to Galicia and joined Dominio do Bibei in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra. For nearly a decade, she served as winemaker and viticulturist, becoming intimately familiar with the vertiginous slopes of the Bibei Valley—the steep, dizzying banks where Roman terraces still cling to the mountainsides. When she left in 2012, she had developed a profound bond with the region, the grape varieties, and the families who owned small parcels of ancient vines.
In 2014, Laura and her partner Álvaro Domínguez founded Daterra Viticultores in the quiet village of Manzaneda. They pieced together 4.5 hectares from 25 small parcels—vineyards that had been subdivided through generations until families held fractions too small to be economical. Laura saw not insignificance, but living history. Working with local growers, she set out to rescue these 80-120 year old vines from extinction, farming them organically and bottling them as Vino de la Tierra (outside the DO)—a tribute to the land and the families who kept it.
"Agro-ecology with minimal impact"—listening to what the grapes want to become.
Laura describes her farming as "agro-ecology with minimal impact". After decades of industrial viticulture depleted the soils of Ribeira Sacra, she works to regenerate life in the earth—creating healthy, thriving ecosystems for her old bush vines. All work is manual (tractors are impossible on these slopes), using organic and biodynamic preparations to nurture biodiversity. The goal is harmony: between the vines, the soil, and the rugged Atlantic-meets-continental climate of the Bibei Valley.
In the winery, located in a restored old house in the center of Manzaneda, Laura's approach is low-tech and non-interventionist. She ferments with indigenous yeasts and works with minimal sulfur, usually only at bottling. Wine is moved by gravity whenever possible. There is no clarification, no cold stabilization, no filtration. She utilizes a mix of vessels—chestnut barrels (traditional to the region), French oak, clay amphorae, and steel—allowing each parcel to dictate its own elevage.
"We seek for the future through agriculture," Laura explains, "which means years of work in the vineyard…our grapes give good information, and let us know where the wine wants to go." This philosophy extends to her rejection of the DO Ribeira Sacra. By bottling as Vino de la Tierra, she maintains freedom to work with "illegal" varieties (like Palomino and Doña Blanca in the reds), to blend across subzones, and to prioritize authentic expression over bureaucratic approval.
Agro-ecology
Val do Bibei—granite, slate and schist at 400-750m, where Roman terraces meet Atlantic humidity.
Small Parcels
Laura works 25 distinct vineyard plots across the Manzaneda district (San Martiño, Soutipedre, Cesuris) and beyond. This is precision viticulture—piecing together a living mosaic from holdings that had been subdivided through inheritance until economically unviable. Each parcel has its own exposure, soil composition, and microclimate.
Soils
Cool granitic soils predominate, helping produce wines with lower alcohols that are highly aromatic and elegant. But the valley is geologically diverse—schist, slate, clay, gneiss, and sandy loam all appear. The Gavela da Vila comes from granite; Gavela do Pobo from schist and slate. Each soil type imprints distinct character.
Elevation
The vineyards range from 400 to 750 meters elevation on steep, terraced and un-terraced hillsides overlooking the Bibei, Jares, and Navea rivers. Here the Atlantic climate intertwines with continental and Mediterranean influences. At lower elevations, olive trees and wild herbs (lavender, thyme) suggest an almost Mediterranean atmosphere.
From the regional Portela do Vento to village wines and single parcels—a hierarchy of terroir expression.
Portela do Vento Tinto
The regional wine—90% Mencía with Garnacha Tintorera from south-facing parcels in Amandi and Val do Bibei (400-680m). 80% destemmed, wild yeast fermentation in steel vats, raised 9 months in used 500L French barrels. Laura's "glou-glou" wine—fresh, easy-drinking, versatile. Bright red fruits, approachable, meant for sharing from the porrón (~€14-18).
Portela do Vento Blanco
Native white varieties from Manzaneda (north & northeast-facing old vines). Hand-harvested, destemmed into used chestnut barrels, wild yeast fermentation with ~3 weeks skin maceration. Raised 12 months on lees. Textural and aromatic with Atlantic freshness, herbs, and stone fruit. Skin contact provides grip and complexity (~€30-35).
Gavela da Vila
100% old-vine Palomino from Manzaneda (400-750m) on sandy granite soils. Fermented in 1000L chestnut foudre with ~2 weeks skin maceration, raised 11 months on lees. Named after the village (Gavela = plot, Vila = village). Textural, fine, spicy bite with pear, citrus, and mineral grip. Stony and grippy on the finish. Shows Palomino's potential in Ribeira Sacra (~€35-40).
Gavela do Pobo
100% old-vine Palomino from Soutipedre parish, reflecting schist and slate soils (vs. Gavela da Vila's granite). Fermented in amphorae with ~2 weeks skin maceration, raised 11 months on lees. The same grape, two different soil expressions—this is more mineral, more earthy, with distinctive slate tension. A study in terroir through Palomino (~€30-35).
Erea de Vila
The flagship white—mostly Godello with Doña Blanca and minor varieties like Colgadeira from 80-120 year old vines across Manzaneda. Destemmed, fermented with skins in barrels, then aged 6 months in old 225L barrels and wax-coated amphorae for 11-12 months total. Nutty, intense, mineral, with almonds, pears, spice and citrus. Profound and age-worthy (~€40-45).
Azos de Vila
From the village of Manzaneda—80-120 year old mixed plantings (some ungrafted). Field blend of Mouratón, Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Gran Negro, plus Alicante Bouschet and unknown varieties. Destemmed, wild yeast fermentation in old open-top French oak barrels, raised 11 months in used 225L and 500L barrels. Fresh yet complex, herbal, Atlantic-style red with wild berry and allspice (~€35-40).
Azos de Pobo Soutipedre
From the parish (pueblo) of Soutipedre within Manzaneda—80-120 year old vines on schist slopes. 50% Gran Negro and Garnacha Tintorera, with Mouratón, Mencía, Merenzao. Destemmed, foot-trodden, fermented in open-top used 500L and 225L barrels, raised in used 225L barrels. Deeper and riper than Azos de Vila, with brooding black cherry and raspberry. Vivid, structured, built to age (~€45-50).
Azos de Paraxe Mencía
From Val de Rodrigo within the Bibei Valley—a single parcel of Mencía harvested separately. Hand-harvested, wild yeast fermented with ~2 weeks skin maceration in used 225L French oak barrel. Raised 12 months in same barrel. Fresh, juicy, pure Mencía expression—bright red fruit, floral, with the elegance that defines Bibei. No fining or filtration (~€45-50).
Azos de Paraxe Alicante Bouschet
Also from Val de Rodrigo—Alicante Bouschet (Garnacha Tintorera) from a distinct parcel. Wild yeast fermented with short skin maceration in used 225L barrel, aged 12 months. Dark, spicy, mineral-driven with animal notes and dark fruit core. Shows the variety's power when grown on these slopes, handled with Laura's light touch. Very limited (~€45-50).
Casas de Enriba
From Laura's own two south-facing parcels of younger Mencía (25 years) on granite with mixed soils (gravel, clay, gneiss, quartz) in Valdeorras (across the river from Bibei). Hand-harvested 2 weeks earlier than Bibei vineyards for acidity, partially destemmed, wild yeast fermentation in used 500L French oak with 4 days skin maceration. Raised 10 months in same barrels. Aromatic, perfumed red cherries, fine and bright, silky texture (~€35-40).
Camino de la Frontera Tinto
"The Road to the Border"—from Fermoselle in Arribes del Duero (Castilla y León), 3 hours south, bordering Portugal. From Angel Mayor's ancient northwest-facing vineyard in a national park, 100-130 year old vines at 650m. Mostly Juan García (Mouratón) and Tinta Madrid (Tempranillo) with Rufete, Bobal, Bastardo. 50% foot-trodden whole-cluster, 50% destemmed, fermented in 4000L cask and 1000L chestnut foudre with 11 days maceration. Deep, earthy, floral, elegant rusticity (~€35-40).
Camino de la Frontera Blanco
From the same Arribes vineyard as the red—Malvasía (Doña Blanca), Verdejo, and Puesta en Cruz, all co-planted with reds. Northwest-facing, 650m, granite with sandy loam. Destemmed, 2 weeks skin contact, wild yeast fermented and raised in used 500L chestnut barrels and clay amphorae for 11-12 months. White of texture and aromatic depth, sapid, mineral—pair with hearty seafood and grilled vegetables (~€30-35).
The Living Archive
Laura Lorenzo stands nearly alone in Manzaneda—a woman winemaker in one of Spain's most remote, rugged wine regions, working outside the commercial mainstream. By refusing the DO Ribeira Sacra designation, she joins a growing movement of "vigneron" wines that prioritize authentic expression over bureaucratic convenience. Her wines are not just beverages; they are archives of genetic material, preserving varieties like Mouratón, Colgadeira, and Gran Negro that industrial viticulture has marginalized.
More importantly, Daterra represents a pact with the past. Every bottle honors the families who subdivided their vineyards through generations, who kept these 80-120 year old vines alive despite economic impracticality, who entrusted their heritage to Laura's hands. "The relationship with the vineyard is different from that established with other crops," she says. "With the vineyard, family history is relived and for that reason it is the last thing the farmers leave because they know that, if they do, it's over." Through Daterra, that history continues—not as a museum piece, but as living, evolving wine that speaks of granite, Atlantic storms, and the stubborn persistence of those who refused to let the land go silent.
- Outside DO Ribeira Sacra (Vino de la Tierra)
- 25 small parcels (precision viticulture)
- 80-120 year old vines (some ungrafted)
- Agro-ecology & biodynamic preparations
- Gravity-flow winery (no pumps)
- Chestnut barrels (traditional to region)
- Indigenous yeast fermentation
- Minimal SO2 (only at bottling)
- No fining, filtering, or cold stabilization
- Cross-border project (Arribes del Duero)