Bodega Pirineos

Bodegas Pirineos (which means Pyrenees) is a co-op winery in the city of Barbastro in Aragon, northeastern Spain, about 60 miles northeast of Zaragoza in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains. It lies within the Somontano wine appellation. The region was granted DOP status in 1984. The co-op was founded in 1993, but growers had been lobbying for the DOP since 1964.

Members of the Cooperative number 150, representing families in 23 small villages to the north and west of Barbastro, which is the main town of the Rio Vero Valley. Vineyards occupy both valleys and hilly terroirs. Bodegas Pirineos vines cover 700 hectares, about a quarter of the DO. In 2007, sherry producer Barbadillo bought into the co-op and owns a three-quarter share.

While many growers have replanted in popular varieties, the local and once widespread Moristel grape is being replanted at an elevation of 600 meters. Saving the grape is a firm commitment of the Co-op. The favorable microclimate and soils of the region support a diversity of grape varieties from Sauvignon Blanc to Gewürztraminer to Montesierra and many more.

The Co-op maintains a firm commitment to sustainability and responsibility toward future generations and participates in numerous research and development projects with universities and industry groups. Just two of these projects include a study of various malolactic cultures on the generation of biogenic amines in the production of high-quality wines and a project for the recovery of native varieties in the DO Somontano.

In 2021, Bodegas Pirineos was granted the Aragon Social Responsibility (RSA) certification granted by the Government of Aragon, a certification that the Co-op has worked hard to renew each year. A portion of the annual sales of single-varietal wines funds research to help mitigate the effects of climate change in the Pyrenees.

Bodega Pirineos Principio Moristel