Samuel PárragaBodega Viñerón
The altitude poet of Andalusia. Numbered wines from 400-1300 meters, zero sulfur, and the revival of Rome, Montúa, and Vigiriega in the mountains of Málaga and Granada.
From family consumption to international acclaim—how a childhood in the vines became an altitude-driven revolution.
Samuel Párraga grew up in a family that made wine for their own consumption—traditional, artisanal, and natural before "natural wine" was a movement. Since he was five years old, he worked in the vineyards, harvested grapes, and learned the rhythms of viticulture in the Axarquía region of Málaga.
He studied Viticulture and Oenology in Manilva, then Oenology at the University of Cádiz, followed by internships at Bodegas La Capuchina and work in California and France. But it was tasting natural wines at La Casa del Perro restaurant in Málaga that crystallized his vision. In 2017, he began developing his personal project; in 2018, he produced his first natural wines.
Operating from a warehouse in the Centro Andaluz de Emprendimiento (CADE) industrial estate in Coín, Samuel has become a detective of forgotten vineyards. He locates old plots whose owners can no longer work them, makes agreements to cultivate them, and preserves minority varieties like Rome, Montúa, and Vigiriega that were on the verge of disappearing. His production has grown from a few thousand bottles to a target of 20,000, snapped up by distributors in Canada, the USA, UK, Denmark, and Switzerland.
"I make plot wines. I never mix musts from different vineyards, because each plot has its own identity."
Samuel's philosophy is rooted in absolute terroir expression. He works with small, scattered plots across Málaga and Granada—Cómpeta, Sedella, Montes de Málaga, Cartajima, and the foothills of Sierra Nevada—treating each as a distinct entity. "I never mix musts from different vineyards," he insists, "because each plot has its own identity."
His approach is rigorously natural: organic/biodynamic farming, no chemical products in field or winery, manual harvest, foot treading, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and zero additives—no sulfites, no acids, no commercial yeasts. The wines are not filtered or stabilized, only decanted to clarify.
Uniquely, Samuel uses veneer (wooden closures) instead of cork for many wines, believing it better preserves the wine's characteristics and avoids unwanted evolution. He ages even his whites for a year before bottling to ensure stability without sulfur. His reference for ancestral sparkling wines is Fernando Angulo of Cádiz; six of his fifteen cuvées are pet-nats made in this method.
Identity
From the slate heights of Montes de Málaga to the Sierra Nevada foothills—diverse altitudes, soils, and microclimates.
Alto Jabonero
The flagship vineyard in Montes de Málaga, 1.5 hectares of steep slopes with slate soils that produce excellent ripe fruit with strong mineral characteristics. Planted in 2010 by Paco Chinchilla and taken over by Samuel in 2022. Views stretch to Málaga city and the Mediterranean.
Sierra Nevada
The highest vineyards in the project, located in the foothills of Sierra Nevada near Granada. These elevations provide cool nights and dramatic diurnal shifts, allowing for fresh acidity despite the southern latitude. Home to rare varieties like Vigiriega.
Cómpeta & Sedella
Traditional mountain villages where ancient vineyards of Rome, Montúa, and Moscatel survive on terraced slopes. The humid Mediterranean climate quickly gives way to mountainous terrain with mixed soils of slate, clay, limestone, and sand.
Fifteen references classified by altitude and color—each number a vineyard, each color a style.
Rapagón
"Young boy" in local dialect—Samuel's most accessible wine, designed for restaurants at reasonable prices. A fresh, dry white made from Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez grown in Mollina. Heady, balanced, and persistent at just 11% ABV. The gateway to his alpine Andalusia.
1301 Vigiriega
From the highest vineyard at 1,301 meters, this is pure Vigiriega—an indigenous white variety Samuel is passionate about. The altitude provides tension and acidity rarely found in Andalusian whites. A wine of mountain freshness and mineral persistence.
1165 Tempranillo
Tempranillo grown at 1,165 meters elevation, showing the variety's adaptability to high-altitude Andalusian terroir. Fresh, red-fruited, and mineral rather than the heavy, alcoholic style typical of the region. Demonstrates Samuel's ability to find balance in unexpected places.
1043 Rome
Pure Rome (also called Romé), a minority variety traditionally used to give color to blends. Samuel bottles it alone from a specific plot at 1,043 meters. Shows the variety's capacity for depth and structure when treated with respect and elevation.
0981 Orange
A skin-contact blend of Montúa, Vigiriego, and Pedro Ximénez from 981 meters elevation. Amber color with oxidized notes of almonds and nuts, yet full and savory with a salty finish. The number indicates the altitude; "Orange" indicates the style.
0981 Blanco
The same elevation as the Orange (981m) but direct-pressed and aged without skin contact. A complex white best served with food—rich stone fruit flavors supported by strong mineral and smoky finish. Demonstrates how the same site can produce radically different wines.
Ancestral Series
Six of Samuel's fifteen references are ancestral method sparkling wines (pet-nats), bottled during fermentation to capture natural bubbles. Available in various colors and varieties: Vigiriega Ancestral, PX Ancestral, and blends. Referenced by Fernando Angulo as the standard for this style in Andalusia.
Flor Tinaja / Dulce
Samuel honors Andalusian traditions with oxidative whites aged under flor (yeast veil) in tinajas (clay amphorae), and sweet dessert wines made from dried grapes. These connect his natural philosophy to the historical styles of Málaga— PX and Moscatel handled with zero additives but ancient techniques.
The Altitude Cartographer
Samuel Párraga has created one of the most distinctive visual identities in natural wine: labels where numbers indicate altitude and colored blocks represent wine style. This system transforms his scattered vineyards into a coherent narrative—each bottle is a specific point on the Andalusian topographic map, from 400 meters to 1,301.
His work represents a new generation of Andalusian winemakers who refuse to accept that their region can only produce heavy, hot-climate wines. By climbing higher—literally and figuratively—he has proven that Málaga and Granada can produce wines of freshness, acidity, and elegance, while preserving indigenous varieties that were being ripped out in favor of international grapes.
- Created altitude-based labeling system (400-1300m)
- Preserving Rome, Montúa, Vigiriega varieties
- Zero sulfur since first vintage (2018)
- Ancestral sparkling specialist (6 cuvées)
- Uses veneer instead of cork
- Foot treading & manual harvest only
- Plot-specific winemaking (no blending)