Sílice ViticultoresRodríguez & Torres
Family, friendship and quartz. Recovering Roman terraces on the vertiginous banks of the Sil River Canyon—making field-blend wines from 100-year-old vines with indigenous yeasts outside the DO.
From the canyons of Sober to the stages of Zurich—how three friends resurrected ancient vineyards on the River Sil.
In the hamlet of Barantes de Arriba, in the municipality of Sober (Lugo province), brothers Juan and Carlos Rodríguez grew up in the shadow of the River Sil Canyon. The vertiginous slopes of the Amandi sub-zone, with their ancient terraced vineyards carved by Roman hands two millennia ago, were their childhood playground. Meanwhile, their future partner Fredi Torres, though born in Galicia (next door in Rías Baixas), grew up in Switzerland between Zurich and the mountains, spending years as a musician and DJ before discovering wine through a girlfriend and training at the SAE School in Zurich.
Fredi cut his teeth in Priorat working with Clos Mogador and Saó del Coster, becoming known for biodynamic farming and early harvesting. But he never forgot the light, acidic red wines his Galician grandfather made, nor the dramatic landscapes of his homeland. In 2013, he proposed a collaboration to Juan and Carlos, who had busy careers but longed to reconnect with their roots and preserve the historic vineyards around Barantes. Sílice Viticultores was born—a name referencing the silica and quartz that dominates their granitic soils.
Today, they farm 8 hectares total—1.5 hectares owned by the Rodríguez brothers, the rest recovered from small growers across Amandi, Doade, and Rosende. Their first vintage in 2013 faced issues with the regulatory body, leading them to make a radical decision: they would work outside the DO Ribeira Sacra, choosing freedom over designation. Production remains tiny—starting with just 3,800 bottles and growing slowly. When they bottle, it's often just the three friends, hand-numbering each bottle, occasionally finding ancient Roman artifacts in the soil between the vines.
"Maximum respect"—indigenous yeasts, field blends, and the radical decision to leave the DO to protect their vision.
Sílice practices organic farming with biodynamic principles across all their vineyards. In a region where mechanization is impossible and everything must be done by hand on slopes exceeding 65% inclination, they embrace the "heroic viticulture" that has defined the Sil Canyon since Roman times. No herbicides, minimal copper and sulfur treatments only when necessary, and a profound respect for the old vines that have survived decades of abandonment.
In the cellar, their approach is minimal and low-intervention. All wines ferment with indigenous yeasts—no commercial strains. For their entry-level Sílice Tinto, they use 30% whole clusters, fermenting in a mix of neutral oak foudre, concrete eggs, and stainless steel. The Finca series (Lobeiras, Romeu, Rosende) sees 100% whole bunch fermentation and aging for 16-18 months in small old barrels, followed by 18-24 months in bottle before release.
They believe in field blends—co-fermenting multiple varieties as they grow together in the old vineyards. The result is not a single-varietal expression but a snapshot of a specific place and moment. "Wines like those who came before us," as they describe it—light, acidic, fresh, yet with the structure to age. They bottle unfined and unfiltered, with minimal SO2, creating wines that slip between the natural and classical wine worlds.
Quartz & Canyon
The Sil River Canyon—granite, schist and silica at 65% incline, where Roman terraces meet Atlantic influence.
Heroic Slopes
The vertiginous vineyards of Amandi, Doade, and Rosende sit on slopes exceeding 65% inclination. These are considered "heroic viticulture"—everything must be done by hand, carried on the backs of growers. The Romans carved these terraces two thousand years ago, knowing the monumental effort would yield wines of distinction.
Soils
Decomposed granite dominates, with pockets of schist and gneiss. The high quartz content (sílice) gives the project its name. These poor, well-drained soils force vines to dig deep, producing small, concentrated fruit. Shell fragments and Roman roof tiles occasionally surface after rains, reminders of the ancient seabed and civilization.
Years Old
Many parcels contain vines over 100 years old, including those used for the Finca series. These ancient vineyards, with their mixed plantings of Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Albarello and white varieties, provide genetic diversity and concentration impossible from younger, monoculture plantings. A living archive of Ribeira Sacra's viticultural past.
From the vibrant energy of Sílice Tinto to the profound depth of Finca Lobeiras—field blends at every altitude of expression.
Sílice Tinto
The heart of the project—approximately 80% Mencía with Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao (Trousseau), Albarello, and a small percentage of white grapes (mostly Palomino) co-fermented from 20-60 year-old vines. Hand-harvested into 15kg crates, 30% whole cluster, fermented with indigenous yeasts in foudre, concrete and steel. Aged 12 months on lees. Bright, juicy, with red fruits, mineral tension, and that characteristic Atlantic freshness (~€22-28).
Sílice Blanco
A mosaic of native Galician white varieties: 30% Treixadura, 30% Palomino, 20% Albariño, plus Godello, Doña Blanca and Blanco Lexítimo. Sourced from terraced micro-parcels in the Sil River Canyon. Fermented with native yeasts in a mix of barrel and tank. Almost Chablis-like in its mineral, lemony nose with leesy spice. Rich yet concentrated with proper freshness—green apple, lime, and citrus peel (~€25-32).
Finca Lobeiras
The most linear and tense of the Finca trilogy. From a low-yielding vineyard with Mencía, Albarello and Merenzao. Vinified with 100% whole bunches and aged 16-18 months in small old barrels, then 18-24 months in bottle before release. An explosion of flowers, red fruits and sweet spices on the nose. Layered, dense, velvety yet with pronounced tension and mouthwatering acidity. Hand-numbered bottles in individual wooden boxes (~€85-95).
Finca Romeu
From another distinct parcel in the Amandi zone, aged 12 months on fine lees in used 225-litre barrels. Limited to approximately 570 bottles annually. More structured and mineral than the flagship, with deep blackcurrant and plum flavors, earthy undertones, and that wild herb character (tomillo, gorse) that defines the canyon. The savoir-faire of old-vine Mencía in its purest expression.
Finca Rosende
The third in the Finca series, representing a different exposure and soil composition within the Sil Canyon. Same meticulous vinification: 100% whole cluster, indigenous yeast fermentation, extended aging in old wood and bottle. Each Finca expresses a distinct personality—Rosende typically shows a more ethereal, floral character with red berry precision and slate minerality. Terroir-driven winemaking at its most exacting.
Finca Xabrega
A field blend of 90% Mencía and 10% Garnacha Tintorera with some white grapes interplanted, from the Xabrega vineyard. The 2019 vintage shows pale, translucent color with ethereal, perfumed aromatics—red berries, wild herbs, and earthy nuances. More austere and subtle than the other Finacas, with elegant tension and layered complexity. A meditation wine that rewards patience and reveals the quieter side of Ribeira Sacra (~€55-65).
Xabrega Blanco
From the same Xabrega site but expressing its white potential—a limited production wine that showcases the forgotten white varieties of Ribeira Sacra. Fermented and aged with minimal intervention, it represents Sílice's exploration of the canyon's white wine possibilities. Fresh yet textured, with the same mineral backbone that defines their reds but expressed through Treixadura, Godello and Palomino.
Ímbrice / Ámboa / Adobe
A special collaboration with master ceramicist Elías González of Alfarería de Gundivós and local winemaker Manuel Verao. Using local clay, Elías recreates Roman-style amphorae (ímbrice) and storage pots (ámboa) just as they were made 2,000 years ago. These wines, made under the DO Ribeira Sacra, pay tribute to the region's archaeological heritage. Roman roof tiles found in the Sílice vineyards inspired this return to ancestral winemaking vessels.
The Quartz Connection
Sílice Viticultores represents a new generation of Galician winemakers who choose tradition over technology, and terroir over designation. By leaving the DO Ribeira Sacra after their first vintage, they joined a growing movement of "vigneron" wines that prioritize authentic expression over bureaucratic approval. Their work has helped elevate Mencía from a simple local grape to a variety capable of profound, site-specific expression.
Beyond the wines, Juan, Carlos and Fredi have become custodians of the landscape. They organize Galicia Wine Taste in Santiago de Compostela, bringing together the region's best producers in the cloisters of Hotel Monumento San Francisco. They collaborate with ceramicists to revive Roman pottery traditions. And they prove that three friends—one a former DJ from Zurich, two brothers from Barantes—can resurrect ancient vineyards and remind the world why the Romans chose these impossible slopes two millennia ago.
- Outside DO status (freedom over designation)
- 100% hand-harvested on 65% slopes
- Organic & biodynamic farming
- Indigenous yeast fermentation only
- Field blend philosophy (co-fermentation)
- 100% whole bunch for Finca series
- Roman terrace preservation
- Galicia Wine Taste founders
- Roman amphorae revival project