LAN people: Jose and Pedro, two generations devoted to the vineyard

With his face weathered by all the seasons in the year, Jose Lopes walks among rows of vines performing his daily duties. Now in the midst of winter pruning, he contemplates the deep blue colour of the Rioja skies —for more than 20 years, Jose has been taking care of the vines in Viña Lanciano, a spectacular setting where the grapes for our top single-vineyard wines are grown.

Jose keeps a watchful eye on the 72 hectares of vineyards surrounded by the Ebro river, which imparts such a special character to the area’s terroir. He pays attention to the needs of the plants and their evolution; such attentions are returned by the vines in the form of healthy and ripe berries.

He has transmitted such daily devotion to the land onto his son Pedro, who now accompanies him in his daily routines. From his father’s experience, Pedro has learnt that vines need constant attention, that his hands will freeze with the cold winter wind and that his face will burn under the summer sun. He has learnt that those sunny daybreaks or those evenings watching the sun go down behind the Sierra Cantabria mountains are the reward for their unflinching compromise. Pedro has learnt to feel proud of the land and along with his team, they take care of Viña Lanciano and its vines.

Such efforts help to maintain a sustainable ecosystem in Viña Lanciano, always striving to find the maximum natural balance of the plants and the work of its live soils, putting viticulture to the service of the vineyard’s natural life.

The passing of time has demonstrated that the rugged hands of Jose, Pedro and the rest of the team have prepared the vines to live for several decades in the best conditions so we are expecting to harvest grapes with an extraordinary quality over a long period of time in Viña Lanciano’s stony, hard-to-work soils. Undoubtedly, this is the best reward possible.

At Bodegas LAN we know that, after countless vintages, the work of Jose, Pedro and their team rests behind many of the sensations we feel when we drink our wines… understanding and respecting the vineyard is #VeryLAN.