Adega do demo

Laura Rodriguez & carlos lorenzo


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The origin of this unique name comes from Moises, Carlos’s grandfather who grew up in quiet, rural Galicia in the 1930s. Moises had a reputation as a bit of a town troublemaker whose jokes annoyed the entire village. One of his famous tricks was to climb up the highest hill with his brother and make a huge noise with a toy in the middle of the night. People began calling this strange sound the “demon’s snore”, and Moises earned the nickname “O Demo da Ronca’, the snoring demon. 

Adega do Demo is owned and run by Laura Rodriguez and Carlos Lorenzo, who have been looking after his family vineyards since 2005. Their aim is to produce quality wine based on the traditional viticulture and winemaking method of Ribeiro area (Ourense, Galicia).

Their vineyards are located in Alongos and they used to sell all their grapes to other wineries until they decided to make their own wines. All vineyards are farmed organically. 

Laura and Carlos’s aim is to produce wines with a clear concept and personality. They use traditional grape types of the area and use traditional winemaking methods. They made the first vintage in one of their friends’ cellars in 2017, which they call “year zero”. They produced the cuvée Bitoku (Treixadura + Loureira), which is the more typical regional wine with DO Ribeiro status, and 2 bottlings of their experimental wines labeled Piotr K. This concept wine is inspired by the agricultural anarchy theory of Piotr Kropotkin, “free from central government and based on voluntary associations of self-governing communities and worker-run enterprises.” Every year this wine will be different.

Carlos says, “I think that is what we need in Galicia. People have been suffering from poverty and attached to the land. They used to be “coleteiros", who grows grapes and sell them off. Their life has always been influenced by nature, the price of grapes and poverty.”

location:

Alongos municipals, Ribeiro (Ourense, Spain). (Population of Alongos is 319 people in 2007).

cellar:

“Bodega da Lonia”. Originally built in 19th ccentury. Due to the de-population, the cellar was abandoned and destroyed. Since 2018, Carlos and Laura have been making their wine at this cellar using modern winemaking techniques and tools, but with respect for the land and nature like old days.

Production capacity:

20,000 liters

grape varieties:

Whites - Treixadura, Loureira, Godello (all planted in 2005)

Red - Brancellao.

Viticulture:

The main pillar of their viticulture philosophy is earth and soil. It is the key factor to obtain healthy and strong grapes, which is their concept of grape growing. Therefore, they focus on the care of soil and its microbiology. Carlos and Laura observe plants continuously and use only products which are certified for organic farming, and they do not use any herbicides or insecticides of any sort.

The main plot of Adega do Demo winery is a 3 hectare parcel located on the mountain slope. Its soil type is slate and clay. Carlos follows organic farming, because for Adega de Demo wines, all the life in the soil are the most important factor. He doesn’t spray herbicide or organic insecticide. During winter, he plants rye and vetches in order to soften and bring oxygen into the soil. He then shreds it to use as mulch in the summer. The plot is in pine and oak woods and surrounded by old handmade stone walls. He never gets tired with walking around the vineyards and looking after it.


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adega do demo bitoku

Varietal: 95% Treixadura, 5% Loureira Color: White Wine

Appellation: Ribeiro

Vineyard: “A Tapadas”, located in municipality of Puga in DO Ribeiro. Estate vineyard owned by Carlos and Laura, planted with Treixadura, Godello and Loureira (all white grape varieties). Vineyard Size: 3ha. Soil Type: Slate and clay. Orientation: South. Average altitude: 280m, which is high-mid high for Ribeiro.

Wine Making: 18 hours of cold maceration. Fermentation with natural yeast in stainless steel tanks. In January and February, batonnage for a short period in order to increase contact between wine and fine lees. Small dose of SO2, no fining with chemical agents, filtering or correction. Bottled in October.

Genesis of the name: Bitoku is a wine made with grapes grown in Carlos and Laura’s own farm. Therefore they wanted to give it a name that represents its origin. Bitoku is the name of a Japanese carp that lives in the water basins of a traditional farm (like a small pond). It is the emblem of the wine and guardian of our lives. It means “virtues” in Japanese. The name also has a strong relationship to the seven virtues of Bushido (the philosophy of Samurai). For them, the virtues show the way that a winemaker has to follow, from the vineyard to making wine.

 
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adega do demo piotr k loureiro lado

Varietal: Loureiro Lado Color: White Wine

Appellation: Ribeiro

 

adega do demo piotr k Torrontes

Varietal: 100% Torrontes Color: White Wine

Piotr K concept wine is inspired by the agricultural anarchy theory of Piotr Kropotkin, “free from central government and based on voluntary associations of self-governing communities and worker-run entreprises”. Every year this wine will come from the Montecelo vineyard planted with Treixadura, Torrontes and Loureira.

Vineyard: “Montecelo”, located in the municipality of Puga in DO Ribeiro. Vineyard size: 2ha. Soil type: Slate and clay. Average altitude: 270m, which is high-mid high for Ribeiro.

Winemaking: 5 days cold maceration. Racking wine and self press. Fermentation with natural yeast in stainless steel tanks and finished in chestnut and oak barrels. The chestnut barrels are typical in Galicia, and bring less woody notes to the wine. In January and February, remontage in order to increase contact between wine and fine lees. Bottled in August with a small amount of SO2 added and no fining, filtering or correction. 1500 bottles produced.