Bodega de Las Estrellas
When I saw “Winery of the Stars” on the map of Valdepeñas wineries I stupidly thought that it must mean that it was a favorite of red carpet treading people! Not for the first time I was proved an idiot when I visited the winery, met the owner, and found out why he calls his winery “La Bodega de las Estrellas”.
Dionisio de Nova Garcia is a great name for a man in this line of work. What could be more appropriate for a winemaker than being named after the Greek God of wine? A really nice guy he is too!
Having spent time talking with Dionisio it is evident that he is as enthusiastic about wine as his ancient celestial namesake must have been. His boutique Valdepeñas winery is run according to certain biodynamic principles and he has a range of wines which include blends tailored to the signs of the Zodiac.
Dionisio explains that this is a fourth-generation winery and that he is fully convinced of the benefits of following bio-dynamic practices and considering the constellation positions to determine vineyard and winery operations. There also appears to be some scientific evidence of the benefits of using such methods. Studies conducted on bio-dynamic and non-organic tended soils have reportedly shown that the former has greater nutrient content and better structure.
So what is Biodynamic Winemaking?
People burying manure in cow horns in France is something that springs to mind probably, but there is much more involved. This concept is a holistic approach that the winery of the stars follows with respect to pruning, pest control, soil nutrition, harvest, fermentation, aging, and bottling taking into account star positions and phases of the moon.
Dionisio overseeing grape reception at his winery 
Biodynamic method of burying manure in cow horns!
It is said that drinking on the correct days makes the wine taste much better also. “Fruit days” are supposedly the best days for uncorking, when the moon is found in one of the fire signs of either Leo, Sagittarius or Aires.
Each biodynamic calendar day is associated with one of the four base elements of earth, fire, air, and water which you can see in the graphic at the top of the page. These elements have been referenced since time immemorial:
- Fruit Days: Best days for harvesting grapes – and drinking
- Root Days: Ideal days for pruning
- Flower Days: Leave the vineyard alone on these days
- Leaf Days: Ideal days for watering plants
Apart from following these principles, the Winery of the Stars cellar is hugely interesting as it is filled with massive
Meticulous selection process at the winery 
The cellars of Bodega de las Estrellas
So you can see a lot of extra effort being put in to make this wine, respect for the land, the cosmos and ancient traditions. Then you see something which is very high tech in the visitor reception area. It looks like a check-in machine at an airport but it actually is used to calculate the perfect wine blend for your birth date.
My birth date was plugged in and, quite rightly, I came out as a Capricorn. Dionisio went over to his shelves and came back with an attractively labeled bottle which is blended for Capricorns. I am not sure about the theory behind the blend, and by this time I had drunk a few glasses and didn’t ask!
My Capricorn blend is one of Syrah and Tempranillo (two varieties that I do in fact love)…my wine has spent time in clay vessels and in French oak, so I did actually love it. There might be something to this star sign theory!
