December 2020

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I don’t think I need to go into detail about what

a ‘special’ year we’ve all had. We’re all aware of the

damage wrecked by the pandemic at a global level,

the families left without loved ones, without work.

Many businesses including the wine, tourism and

service sectors have all been hit hard financially. But,

if there’s one thing we’ve learnt from our forebears,

it’s that we can never give up, we have to continue

the fight come rain or shine because that’s the only

way to move forward.

The fact that this magazine has been sent to

you today is our attempt to shine a light on some

of the positives that have keep us going. Positives

that we would like to share with you here as a way of

summing up this unusual year.

Our aim with this magazine is to transmit the

same spirit that keeps us going and gives us hope

and passion for what is to come. After all, wine is the

legacy of vines that tirelessly strive to produce the

very best grapes, even in the most difficult years.

Let’s learn from them.

2020what a year!

Elena PachecoWinemaker, CEO of Bodegas Viña Elena

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The first harvest of the year

The first harvest in our region took place on

Tuesday 4th August 2020. Our plan was to use

the ripe Garnacha to make rosé and we needed

all hands on deck to harvest in a single day. If

there is one thing that makes Bodegas Viña

Elena stand out from the rest, it is our people.

Our dedicated team is a true blessing. So, when

the call went out to ask who was available to

harvest early in the morning almost all the crew,

with the exception of those needed to keep

the bodega ticking over, volunteered. Off

we went with secateurs in hand to cut

bunches and, inevitably, fingers! It is an

interesting experience for those not used

to it as you can look forward to at least

two days of aches and pains, but also

to the huge satisfaction of tasting (at

the time of writing) a Familia Pacheco

Rosado 2020 whose grapes passed

through your hands one warm August

morning.

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Harvest 2020The 2020 harvest is a good vintage, in contrast

to the hard, complicated year we have all suffered

in general. The grapes entered the bodega in

exceptional sanitary conditions, something we had

not seen for a while. The yield was high because

the grapes were free from fungus and botrytis or

‘noble rot’ throughout the growth cycle.

It rained quite a lot in spring, which gave the vines

reserves to survive the hot summer. The summer

was somewhat unusual in that it was hot during

the day but very cool at night. This fluctuation in

temperature helped the grapes to ripen at an

optimum rate.

The harvest began in August in the lowest regions

at 380 to 500 metres above sea level. Garnacha

was first followed by Syrah and even some

Monastrell was harvested at the end of August from

the Mandiles vineyard. It was a seamless harvest,

unlike other years when rain in mid-September or

October stops play. In contrast, this year in early

autumn it was dry, with no mists or early morning

dew. This helped to keep the grapes healthy and

gave rise to a natural, balanced ripening process.

The yield was higher than last year by around 30%.

Given the above, we believe that 2020 could

produce one of our region’s most legendary

vintages.

This year we missed out on wine!

In 2021, we need to take care in order to recover

all those moments we missed in the bar in the

company of our family and friends, in gastronomic

events, fairs, face-to-face tasting events, and

celebrations. We need to hang on to all those hugs

that we miss so much, so that we can again raise

our glass of wine to celebrate the fact that we are

together and that between all of us we can get

through this.

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BarcelonaWe were also present in a new wine show that

brought together more than 15,000 participants:

Barcelona Wine Week. We showcased our Monas-

trell wines from the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín

range. During the tasting process we explained the

origin of the project and the differences between

each wine. The event gave rise to friendships and

collaborations, one of which was with Vértigo Wines

who now distribute our wines in Catalonia.

GaliciaOn 3rd February 2020, we were present, together

with another fifteen bodegas from DO Jumilla, in

the Salón de vinos DOP Jumilla (DO Jumilla Wine

Show) held in the Hotel Finisterre in A Coruña,

Galicia. A Coruña is a strategic city in the northwest

of Spain were the consumption of wine takes on a

special significance, and it was there where we first

launched our Familia Pacheco wine range.

Rural Businesswoman of the Year Award

On 15th October, International Day of Rural

Women, Elena Pacheco was named as one

of eight Rural Businesswomen of 2020 by the

Region of Murcia Agricultural Agency.

We know that this recognition of Elena’s

worth as head of a bodega and agrarian estate

is also a homage to every rural woman who toils

day after day to keep their business afloat in the

challenging, undervalued agricultural sector.

Many are invisible, yet without their support and

their tireless work, the industry would collapse.

Our thanks go out to every single one of them.

Emi and Elena Pacheco, two of the sisters who run the bodega

This year, Elena Pacheco was invited to take part

in the round table, Empoderamiento femenino.

Sumamos para la igualdad (Female Empowerment.

Together for equality) as part of an event organised

by La Verdad newspaper in Cartagena for the 3rd

edition of Semana de las Mujeres (Women’s Week).

The seeds of equality

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G O L D M E D A L S A T T H E

2 0 1 9 Q U A L I T Y A W A R D S

DO Jumilla online tasting events

From March to May 2020, DO Jumilla organised

a series of online tasting events – #convinamiento

Jumilla – that were broadcast on its Facebook page

every Friday at 20:00h, presented by sommeliers and

winemakers.

We took part on 3rd April, with Jumilla winemaker,

Diego Cutillas, secretary of the Asociación Murciana de

Enólogos (Murcia Winemakers Association) in a special

edition devoted to Syrah, which is gaining ground in our

DO and in the Certamen de Calidad de los Vinos de

Jumilla (Wines of Jumilla Quality Competition).

A simple act of solidarity

During the month of June, we launched a

campaign to support the hospitality sector with

the aim of moving one small cog to set the wheels

in motion. The idea was to gift the end consumer a

bottle of wine, for every €60 spent on products in

any online shop – collect or delivery – to drink in any

one of the bars or restaurants on the list published

on the website. The concept being that once the

lockdown was over and we could return to our

favourite places, WE CAN START WITH WINE!

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One of the many things the pandemic has taught

us is that you do not have to be physically present in

order to enjoy a tasting session. Technology enables

us to shorten distances when it comes to sharing

a wine together and reaches places that would

be impossible to get to otherwise. Online tasting

events were a real discovery for us, both at a

professional and recreational level. We have been

able to present our wines to prestigious sommeliers

from various restaurants and lead tasting sessions

for groups of friends and customers of the bodega.

All the participants had one thing in common, they

were all at home, relaxed and ready to enjoy, learn

and have a good time.

And it looks like this type of online tasting event

is here to stay. In fact, in December 2020 we

launched our private online tasting events at

Bodegas Viña Elena.

Customers can choose between five tasting

modules buying for themselves or a group of wine-

loving friends, work colleagues, or even as a business

gift. The modules are targeted at different sectors

of the public ranging from absolute beginners in the

world of wine – tastings include single-varietal wines

and Monastrell wines from different vineyards – to

professionals – events include vertical tastings,

limited edition wines, etc.

Lockdown and the rise in online tastingsF A N C Y S O M E W I N E ? A N Y P L A C E , A N Y T I M E !

To sign up just go to: wwww.vinaelena.com/catasprivadas

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Converting the estate to organic farmingWe are in the process of converting our entire

estate to organic farming, although in the case

of the vineyards we only need certification as we

have been using organic farming for years. Disease

control is carried out using only organic compounds

for certain plagues and moths, such as lobesia.

Every year, we use pheromones to monitor when

different generations of the species emerge from

their eggs. And we only use sulphur as a fungicide.

As such, we are currently focusing on converting

our almond orchards and olive groves.

The conversion implies a change of mindset

from curative to preventative, anticipating

problems and eliminating the use of products that

have wide-ranging effects. Modern agriculture often

uses pesticides that not only eliminate plagues

but also kill the wildlife that live in the plantations.

In contrast, by using organic farming we tackle the

problem using bio-products in order to reach a

balance between different wildlife species. We

use natural predators that eat pests to create

an environmental reserve where, little by little,

treatments are virtually no longer needed. It

takes about three years to reach the right balance,

sourcing predators that eat all the types of pests in

the plantations.

The objectives we have set for our plantations

are not based on the additional financial gain that

organic products fetch on the market but on the

fact that we have now reached a point in time

when such actions are much needed and, in fact,

essential for the survival of the planet. We need to

urgently find a balance, create natural, sustainable

products that respect the environment and

nature, especially in a region like ours, which lacks

rainfall and would benefit from organic farming.

At the end of the day, organic farming is not that

complicated, it involves following a philosophy of

common sense.

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Organic crop management

Our crops are treated with products based

on 100% natural organic microorganisms. We

meet EU standards for organic production by

using Symborg’s MycoUp, VitaSoil and BlueN

products. These products not only guarantee

sustainable production with zero residues,

but also improve the environment and the

quality of the soils significantly, while reducing

pollution to underground water supplies as

well as the release of harmful gases into the

atmosphere.

BlueN is the first nitrogen fixation biofertil-

iser able to substitute nitrogenous-based

chemical composts and fertilisers. The

crops take the nitrogen they need directly

from the air, via a bacterium that was discov-

ered and patented by the company, which

enters the plant through the leaves and con-

verts nitrogen into ammonium absorbed by

the plants.

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Olives and almonds are traditional crops in our

region and estate. However, we are implementing

new cultivation systems, looking for different

soils and new self-fertilising varieties that adapt

perfectly to the climate. The three traditional

crops or Trinity of the high-plains of Murcia –

olives, almonds and vines – provide the nutritional

products that are in every home; almonds and

olive oil are fundamental ingredients of the

Mediterranean diet.

As a consequence, we are converting our crops

to organic farming, taking great care to obtain

maximum quality. In particular, we are focusing on

the nutrition of our olive trees and especially on the

harvesting process where everything happens very

quickly. The olives should not be stored but taken

directly to the olive mill from harvesting in order to

maintain their organoleptic qualities which give rise

to expressive, aromatic olive oil.

Olives and almonds

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One of our latest projects is a new estate: Casa

Quemada, in the village of Término de Arriba, close

to Jumilla, at 700 metres above sea level.

The estate is crossed by a gully and boasts a wide

range of properties including sunlight exposure,

orientation, soils, slopes, etc. Yet because and

not despite the region’s heterogeneity we have dug

a series of five test pits in order to discover more

about the area.

We have identified five different areas where

we have discovered different soil types and are

studying the properties of each type. The test

pits are 1.8 metres deep and we have discovered

between nine and ten different types from clay to

compact soils, some with high limestone levels and

some with more organic material and not as poor

as others.

The objective of the study was to help us to

define the style of wines we can produce from

the soils more clearly.

Test pits

Casa Quemada Estate

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PucherosA puchero is a traditional cooking pot and

is the name given by Elena to the red-coloured

small-capacity tubs we use for micro-winemaking.

Every year during the harvest, many new ideas

arise about what to do with certain grapes,

based on their quality and origin. One such idea

is to obtain the essence of each individual plot

in order to extract the maximum expression,

especially from the soils. As a result, this year we

made micro-wines using the grapes from the test-

pit areas after having studied the soils and deciding

it was the right time to experiment. This enables

us to try out new ideas and processes to see what

the grapes offer and, if things turn out right, make

larger quantities. Not everything turns out well of

course, some are rejected, but others surprise and

motivate us to experiment further.

Experiments

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Oak-aged SyrahAnother of our experiments was with the Syrah

2018 vintage. We wanted to find out what different

types of barrels might afford the wine. We usually

make young wines from Syrah, but in this case, we

decided to age the wine in 500-litre heavy toasted

barrels to bring out its freshness. We are usually

not huge fans of heavy toasted barrels because

we believe that Monastrell benefits

more from lightly toasted barrels, so

as not mask the variety. However, the

impact of the heavy toasted barrel

on Syrah was pleasantly surprising.

The variety managed to maintain

the tension and balance with the

wood which, in turn, gave the

wine complex notes and body

– a very interesting combination.

Experiments

R&D collaboration

In April of this year, we signed a collaboration

contract with CEBAS-CSIC to develop research

into new value-added products using by-

products from the wine sector such as stems,

husks, lees, etc. in order to obtain intermediate

products for the food and cosmetic industries.

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This Claret is made from the Particiones

vineyard located in Tobarra, more precisely on

the road the links Tobarra to Ontur. The vineyard

is more than 50 years old. These old rootstock-

grafted vineyards are always a mixture of reds,

whites (Moravia).

Last year in Particiones, some of the Monastrell

vines were uprooted to leave 30% whites and 70%

Monastrell. As a result, we decided to make a

wine using the same proportions in just one vat.

We tipped both red and white grapes directly into

the vat without destemming or pressing, similar to

carbonic maceration. The aim was to respect the

vineyard’s personality in line with the philosophy

behind the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín project,

which is a collection of wines from individual

vineyards that seeks to bring out the expression

of the soils, the location and even the handling of

the vines by the winegrowers.

Due to the white grapes and the lack of

maceration, this wine is light in colour, almost

transparent, lying somewhere between rosé and

red. In the mouth, it maintains good tension due

to fermenting with its stems, and boasts both

body and complexity, which give it a very original

personality.

ClaretA N E W B R U M A

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International markets

Before the pandemic reached Spain, we already

knew 2020 was going to be a complicated year. First

because of the new tariffs imposed by Trump, and

second, because of the coronavirus in China. Both

aspects made us think that sales to both countries

would fall, which would inevitably affect our exports.

What we could never have imagined is that the virus

would reach Europe and in consequence, Spain.

However, it did. Prowein 2020 was cancelled along

with all our other planned business trips and events

on different international markets.

Despite the initial ups and downs, we continue

with our usual energy, ticking off the positives. In

conclusion, there was a fall in sales in 2020, as

expected, but we can thank our luck stars that we

continued to sell Monastrell around the world and

even managed to secure new customers in China,

the Philippines, Australia and the Ukraine.

Another huge satisfaction for us in 2020 was

how our wines performed on international markets.

Pacheco Monastrell Organic strengthened its

presence on the UK market, we were awarded a

Gold Medal in The Drinks Business’ Autumn Tasting,

and Patrick Schmitt MW highlighted Pacheco

Monastrell Organic 2019 in an article about the

best value-for-money wines in the UK. In February

2021, Decanter will include Pacheco Monastrell

Organic 2019 in its section, Weekday wines, which

highlights value-for-money wines under £25. We

are also delighted to see that our wines feature in

other international articles and magazine.

And lastly, renowned wine expert, Luis Gutierrez

has, for yet another year, asked for sample from our

Bruma del Estrecho de Marín range; a sure sign that

he still finds our single-vineyard project interesting.

We improve our scores every year, which drives us

to continue to develop and perfect our Monastrell,

aiming for a wine that is true to its terroir. Year after

year, our Parcela Mandiles, (also Gold Medal in The

Drinks Business’ Autumn Tasting) which boasts

exceptional high quality, is still regarded as one of

the bodega’s most iconic wines.

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Although the road

is long, it’s important to

keep going.

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Reinventing wine tourism

The wine tourism department at Bodegas Viña Elena has

lived through some very emotional times during the year, but we

are pleased to announce that we have launched a renovation

project involving the old ancestral home focused on tourism.

We believe this will enable us to tell our story in a different

way.

The beginning of 2020 looked bright, the agenda was full of

visits, but from one day to the next we had to cancel everything

and face the global pandemic. Those were very difficult mon-

ths, but summer came around and we began to do new things

at the bodega. After lockdown and the easing of restrictions,

we wanted to relaunch our wine tourism as an even stronger

product adapted to the new situation. Although every year we

have organised mass events such as music and wine, cinema

and wine, etc. this year things had to be different. Events

had to be smaller, such as Sensaciones. This series of singular

events gave customers the opportunity to enjoy magical Friday

evenings at the bodega in atypical tasting events that sparked

new sensations in those taking part.

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With a more reduced group than we are used to,

and taking every possible safety measure, our first

event was devoted exclusively to Vermucho.

During this special evening, we revealed the secrets

of and ways of enjoying this singular vermouth. We

first tasted Vermucho while it was still in the fermen-

tation process then tasted tree different cocktails

paired with tapas from the Los Tres Soles restau-

rant. Our aim during the event was to demonstrate

that Vermucho can be enjoyed at any time, not just

as an aperitive but also with an evening meal or even

a dessert.

The second event was an evening meal with a

food and wine pairing with special wines from the

Bruma del Estrecho de Marín range. The project

was briefly explained and samples of the soils from

the different vineyards were on display. Wine was

then tasted directly from a demijohn where Paraje

Las Encebras is aged. The meal was made by the

team at La Bien Pagá with the help of sommelier,

Antonio Chacón and was the perfect match for the

new vintages from the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín

range.

The third Sensaciones event of the summer fo-

cused on an evening of single-varietals. Together

with the team from Restaurante Loreto we gave a

tour of single-varietals by visiting three vineyards –

Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell – then

prepared a meal paired with five different single-va-

rietal wines. This educational event focused on

the principal aromas of each variety in order to

make it easier for customers to identify the similari-

ties between each individual single-varietal.

We had planned a fourth event but had to cancel

the Bulk Wine Festival due to COVID-19, which did

not allow us to plan it as we would wish. However, we

are hopeful that the situation will improve soon so

that we can relaunch our wine tourism activities. The

events left us with a very good sensation, not only

because of their popularity but also because we put

our own ability to the test by organising events of

this nature and we feel proud of what we achieved

through hard work, commitment and teamwork.

We believe that this type of event is, without

doubt, the best way to connect with our public,

to help them feel and live a more intimate and

personalised experience in direct contact with

the bodega and the team, adapted to the ‘new

normal’. In the near future, we will have another spa-

ce dedicated to tourism: the old ancestral home.

The property is in the process of renovation and will

allow us to innovate and offer a very special place to

stay – we can’t wait to welcome you!

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We are a family-run bodega – 3rd and 4th

generations working side by side – that has

developed around the ancestral home, the origin

of our wine business: a farmhouse with a winepress

where our grandfather crushed his grapes by foot

to sell his wines locally.

Because we are located in a strategic

thoroughfare that communicates the Region of

Murcia with the Region of Castilla-La Mancha, our

bodega was the first that traders from the so-called

Huerta de Murcia (the kitchen garden of Murcia)

would pass on their way north. Our grandfather

seized the opportunity and began to sell his wines

further afield, which led to the foundation of

Bodegas Viña Elena way back in 1948.

Our aim is to give our ancestral home the

recognition it deserves: the old winery, the

winepress, the dovecot, the barn, the hay loft, and

show what rural life and work was like back in the

30s, 40s and 50s.

This is our history and our story. We have

inherited the values and passion for the business

from our forebears, and by renovating the house

we aim to pay tribute to our family tradition, from

our grandfather to the current generations, with

pride and gratitude for being able to offer a new

business line in wine tourism.

The project is aimed at people who want to

experience something completely different, who

really want to discover the region, its identity, its

character and its traditions. We aim to tell you the

stories behind things you can touch and see, in the

down to earth way you would expect from a rural

wine region such as ours. The rooms, structure and

configuration of the house will all be restored to

their original state and you will be able to visit, take

part in food and wine tasting events – the bodega

boasts a professional kitchen – and other types of

events in a rural atmosphere that will transport you

back in time.

Although we have tried to respect the existing

architecture of the property as much as possible,

we have had to make some modifications due to

technical and administrative reasons. However,

with the aim of conserving the property’s originality,

we have made the contrast between the modern

and the traditional clearly visible so as not to

conceal or imitate the past.

This year caught us off-guard right in the middle

of the renovation project, but we never give in. We

continue to work with even more determination

and energy with the aim of showing the public the

house where the Pacheco family grew up. The

idea of opening the doors of our home to small

groups, with its kitchen area and small rooms, is

a project we are passionate about. And the best

thing of all is that the essence and love of the family,

transmitted from generation to generation, can still

be felt within its walls, and very soon you will be able

to experience that too.

Our commitment to the futureW E A R E R E N O V A T I N G T H E P A S T I N O R D E R

T O T E L L O U R S T O R Y I N A D I F F E R E N T W A Y

Where are we heading?

We are planning to restructure the Bruma del

Estrecho de Marín vineyards, which will probably be

finalised at the end of 2021. Paraje Las Chozas and

Parcela Navajuelos will disappear to make way for a

new vineyard. Casa Quemada – the estate where

we dug the test pits – will start to operate. This

landscape is ideal for growing vines and has huge

potential and we feel passionate about showcasing

the value of its grapes to the world. The Bruma del Estrecho de Marín wine range as of December 2020

Casa Quemada

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Let’s hope our 2020

wines herald a future

where we raise our

glasses in a toast

to good health! And

we can all smile for

having overcome

these difficult times.

Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without permission from Bodegas Viña Elena, S.L©All images are protected by copyright. Nº 1, December 2020.

Murcia

JUMILLA

SPAIN

Paraje Estrecho de Marín s/nCtra. N-344 km 52,730529 Jumilla, Murcia. Spain (34) 968 78 13 40 info@vinaelena.comwww.vinaelena.com