Tim Atkin, the prestigious Master of Wine, has recognized Mr Daniel Pérez Herrero as Viticulturist of the year 2021, at his recent Special Report about Ribera del Duero.
Daniel Pérez Herrero is the third generation of the Pérez Pascuas family. He is the Director of Viticulture and Agronomic Projects of Viña Pedrosa since 2002. Daniel has a very deep technical knowledge; his work at the vineyard has been crucial. Respecting the land and the vines is the base for all the agronomic projects.
Hnos Pérez Pascuas Winery knows how important is to integrate all the elements that make up the natural environment where the vineyards are located. Daniel Pérez Herrero developes a succesfull viticulture with a perfect integration of our traditional goblet vineyards with native trees, scrubland, medicinal plants, vegetation covers… The restoring of traditional and old buildings that are typical of the region landscape, as ‘chozos’ and cabins, is also part of this integration.
For thousands of years, vines have coexisted with other plants species. Viña Pedrosa owns 120 hectares of goblet vineyards. They work the field from coherence and respect, with tenacity and passion. The vegetation gives to each plot a certain uniqueness.
“Through agroforestry viticulture, we achieve a perfect integration of the vineyard with other plants, mainly arboreal and shrub, and also with the herbaceous species of the vineyard soil”, says Daniel Pérez, head of vineyard and agronomic projects at Bodegas Hnos. Pérez Pascuas.
As Daniel explains, agroforestry viticulture has many adventages, as:
- A better use of rainwater
- Protection against strong winds that can cause damage to vegetation
- Partial shading to protect from drought and extreme heat.
- Improving the structre and permeability of soil
- Reduction of CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
- Improvement of biodiversity in ecosystems
- Natural protection against pests.
Currently, at Viña Pedrosa facilities we can see more than twenty trees which are centurie-old. Almond trees, nut trees, poplars and holm oaks… In the last years, they have planted around10 hectares of native trees. Furthermore, they alternate cereal crops at the vineyard plots.
Preserving biodiversity in the vineyard though viticultural practices, reinforces the purity and authenticity of Viña Pedrosa, two great virtues which its base is the uniqueness of traditional goblet vineyards. Older plants, lower production, better resistance to drought and more resilience in adverse weather conditions, aeration that leads an homogeneous ripening, greater strength against diseases,…
Daniel’s work means a philosophy of life: our wines are the result of a traditional, responsible and sustainable viticulture.
Due all those succesfull strategies which aim is obtaining grapes of the highest quality, Tim Atkin has recognized Daniel Pérez Herrero as Best Winegrower of the year 2021, in his Special Report of the Ribera del Duero.
