Winery description
Located in the concello of Leiro, near the Galician Enology and Viticulture Station, Julia Mar Bande Pivida, with the extensive knowledge gained from her quarter-century of experience leading Servicios Técnicos Agrícolas Xulia (STAX), a company dedicated to all vineyard needs, decided to restore the winery her grandfather established for personal consumption.
She managed to recover 5,000 square meters of her grandparents’ vineyards and bought both old and new vineyards, currently owning a total of 3.1 hectares of vineyards.
Although the winery has a capacity for 22,000 liters of wine, they produce around 12,000 liters, including whites, reds, and rosés, all from their own harvested grapes.
She has spent 33 years conducting vineyard trials. Her first vintage within the DO was in 2012.
Her wines are author wines, natural and sulfate-free. She is always respectful of the environment both in the vineyard and the winery. Using white grape varieties such as Lado, Loureira, Godello, and Treixadura, and red grape varieties such as Caíño, Brancellao, Ferrón, and Sousón.
She is also reviving nearly extinct red grape varieties like Carabuñeira, Espadeiro, Touriga Nacional, and others.
One of her author wines is released every 4-6 years, producing only 800 to 1,000 bottles that sell out quickly. This wine is aged on its lees for 14 months, made from her best grapes, chosen with meticulous care.
Her wines are for aging because they improve over time and can be enjoyed even 10 years after the harvest.
The name of the winery, “Son de Arrieiro,” has a very special meaning for Julia. “Son” because she used to teach music and play the Galician bagpipe. “Arrieiro” as a tribute to her grandfather, who, like so many arrieiros, traversed the paths of Galicia's towns and villages with only the sound of his voice and the company of his mules, bringing Ribeiro wine beyond its borders. Her grandfather introduced her to a world then unknown to her, and this winery is in his honor.
