June 18th: Francisco Barona with Francisco Barona
At Vinonueva | 5145 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL, 33137 | 7:00 pm-8:30 pm
Click HERE to get tickets
In partnership with Jorge Ordóñez Selections
We're excited to welcome Francisco Barona to Vinonueva for a Walkthrough Tasting. Please note that Francisco will be leading the tasting in Spanish.
Born into a family of vine growers he is a third-generation farmer whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather all worked the vineyards of Ribera del Duero. Barona studied viticulture and winemaking in Bordeaux and worked at wineries in France, the United States and South Africa. In 2009, he returned to his hometown of Roa convinced that the region offered some of the world's greatest vineyard sites.
He began building his own project around old vineyards, traditional farming, and a belief that Ribera del Duero's greatest wines begin in the vineyard. Today, that philosophy is reflected in wines rooted in historic vineyard sites, traditional field blends, and minimal intervention in both the vineyard and cellar.
Francisco Barona represents a new generation of Ribera del Duero winemakers, offering a perspective on the region that looks as much to its past as it does to its future.
BACKGROUND
Francisco Barona, at just 25 years old, purchased his first five old-vine parcels across three villages. These small, low-yielding vineyards had historically supplied fruit to Vega Sicilia and became the foundation of his project. In 2014, he released his first wine under his own name.
Today, he farms 48 hectares of vineyards spread across Roa, La Horra, Anguix, La Aguilera and Boada de Roa. Many of these vineyards are over a century old and have been recovered and restored by Barona himself. The sites are dry-farmed, goblet-trained vineyards planted primarily to Tinto Fino, alongside Garnacha, Albillo, Jaén, Valenciana and other traditional varieties that remain intermixed within the parcels.
The vineyard work is guided by a philosophy of minimal intervention and respect for the natural balance of the vines. Cover crops are maintained throughout much of the year, the soils are worked selectively to preserve moisture, and the vineyards are managed with minimal canopy manipulation. Harvest decisions focus on achieving balance and freshness while preserving the character of each site.
Barona often says that his wines are created in the vineyard. In the cellar, the approach remains equally restrained. Fruit is harvested by hand in small baskets, fermentation begins with native yeasts, and the wines are handled with minimal intervention throughout élevage. The wines undergo malolactic fermentation and ageing in French oak before being bottled without fining or filtration.
In 2021, Barona completed a new winery designed entirely by himself. Built to integrate into the surrounding landscape, the winery relies on gravity throughout the winemaking process and includes an underground barrel cellar located eight meters below ground, providing naturally stable conditions for ageing.
Check out the lineup for this tasting:
- Francisco Barona Blanco 2022 (Unreleased New Wine)
- Francisco Barona Ribera del Duero 2022
- Francisco Barona Ribera del Duero 2023
- Francisco Barona Ribera del Duero 2024
- Francisco Barona - Finca las Dueñas Reserva 2020
- Francisco Barona - Finca las Dueñas Reserva 2021
- Francisco Barona - Finca las Dueñas Reserva 2022
Photo Credits: Francisco Barona & Jorge Ordóñez Selections