Bob Bolling 's Website in Galicia, Northwest Spain

Winemaker October 2004
Manolo and Paca are our neighbors to the north of us. They own the large, centuries-old stone house next to the parish church. The house was once owned by the Church and occupied by monks who oversaw the land around here. Manolo is retired and now tends to the church building. He also makes a little wine at home. (More than a little, actually.)
Our neighbors Manolo and Paca have modernized the interior of the large stone house once owned by the Church and occupied by monks	Manolo demonstrating the grape press, which he made himself. The juice runs through a cloth filter into the white bucket below.
A closer look at the press. The dregs are separated and collected in the bucket on the right. They're used later to make aguardiente.	In an adjacent room there's quite a bit of wine in various stages of fermentation and quite a bit more already bottled and ready to serve.
Manolo's wine-making is a not-for-profit operation that he does for his own enjoyment. But he doesn't drink much so he ends up giving a lot to friends and family. This weather this year was good for growing grapes and he is making about 600 liters of wine. Last years's crop wasn't so good and yielded only 200 liters. After pressing all the grapes he takes the dregs into Betanzos where they're distilled into aguardiente, which I can only describe as 'white lightning.' The couple are in their early 80s but are still quite active. They retired after a farming career but they still grow most of their vegetables. Manolo is a multi-talented man who in his younger years part-timed as a trombone player in a dance band that entertained at fiestas.