Guijoso facts for kids

Guijoso is a very special type of wine from Spain. It holds the highest quality rank for Spanish wines, called Vino de Pago. This means that the grapes used to make the wine must be grown on the Guijoso estate itself. Also, the wine must be made and aged right there at the winery, which is called a bodega. This ensures that the wine is truly unique to its specific place.

The winery and vineyards are located on the Guijoso estate. You can find it in the town of El Bonillo, in the Albacete province of Spain. This area is part of Castile-La Mancha. Guijoso officially received its special Vino de Pago status in April 2005. The estate is very close to the Lagunas de Ruidera, which is a beautiful natural park with wetlands and lakes. The Pinilla river also starts its journey from this area.

The entire Guijoso estate is huge, covering about 3,000 hectares (that's about 7,400 acres!). About half of this land is used for farming, while the other half is natural scrubland. This scrubland is often used for hunting. The estate has special buildings and areas for raising animals, growing olives, tending to grapevines, and, of course, the winery itself.

History of Guijoso Wine

The first grapevines were planted on the Guijoso estate in 1985. The very first wine was released for sale in 1990. This first wine was made using Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The main winery building, or bodega, was officially opened in 1993.

Guijoso Vineyards

The vineyards at Guijoso are located at a high elevation, about 1,000 meters (around 3,280 feet) above sea level. They cover a large area of 72 hectares (about 178 acres).

The main white grape types grown here are Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. For red wines, the main grape types are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Syrah.

The grapevines are planted on special structures called trellises. These help the vines grow neatly and get enough sunlight. The vineyards also have a drip irrigation system. This system gives water directly to the roots of the plants, which helps save water. As required by law for Vino de Pago wines, all the grapes used to make Guijoso wine must be grown right there on the estate.

Guijoso Climate

The climate in this region is known as continental. This means it has very long, hot, and dry summers. The winters, on the other hand, are usually very cold. This type of climate is important for how the grapes grow and ripen.

See also

• In Spanish: Guijoso para niños