Visiting this small winery founded by industrial engineer Luis Mariano López and his wife and winemaker Laura is like travelling back in time. They have lovingly restored an old communal wine press in Villálvaro, the village where Luis's mother comes from. Very common in the past, these presses allowed 20 to 30 families to make their wines in each new harvest. Now, it is the only one that remains in the village.

At Señorío de Villálvaro that are also very respectful of the diversity found in their vineyards. Given the relatively high amount of white grapes, they are committed to produce a white from Albillo Mayor grapes and a traditional “clarete” (rosé) in which white and red grapes are blended.

Located at an elevation of 915 metres, Villálvaro boasts a notable heritage of old vines. Vineyards are grown in two different sites: a lower area with sandy soils near the river Rejas where pre-phylloxera vines can still be found but yields can be erratic; and the upper part of the village, close to woodland areas, called La Carrasquilla. Soil diversity is higher here as limestone and clay are also found. Vines are aged 80 to 90 years but the area enjoys good aeration and is less prone to frost. Wines have structure and alcohol compared with the fresh, high acidity reds sourced from vines by the river.

With just 7,000 own vines scattered across these two areas totalling 1.2 hectares, Señorío de Villálvaro ferments sand and clay soils separately. They are now recovering some abandoned plots, but buying vineyards is very difficult because locals are deeply attached to their vines. Ownership is highly fragmented and often reduced to just three or four rows of vines. You can tell who owns which vines by the way they are grown.

Their vines are organically farmed and are in the process of being certified. Although red Tinto Fino or Tempranillo is the dominant variety, there is some Albillo Mayor mixed in the vineyards. In fact, the village's traditional wine is ojo de gallo (a clarete or rosé) and a local wine competition is regularly held to choose the best of its kind.

With production between 5,000 and 6,000 bottles, Señorío de Villálvaro is a very small producer. Their range includes the clarete, the white made with Albillo Mayor and a red that may include small amounts of white grapes. All wines are fermented with natural yeasts and are aged in barrel for five, seven and 12 months respectively. Retail prices range from €11 to €13 -a real bargain considering the quality of vineyards they come from.

Luis and Laura's dream is to settle permanently in Villálvaro and make a living from the winery. For the time being, they organise tastings and wine tours by appointment.