Uva de Vida | Toledo, Castilla La Mancha

Carmen López Delgado

“No place for fear”

When Carmen López Delgado acquired property in 2005 in the Toledo province in central Spain, she thought she would plant grape vines and sell the fruit to others to make wine. But then fate intervened. Carmen was soon diagnosed with cancer, and her illness prompted a change of heart: Uva de Vida (“Grape of Life”) would make the wine from the fruits of her vineyard. For Carmen, winemaking has become a calling and a moral imperative with philosophical, even mystical overtones.

Carmen has come to believe in the deep connection between the soil on earth and the universe, between humanity and nature, between a healthy planet and a healthy body, between the vineyard and the wine maker. She and her husband, Luis Ruiz, believe strongly in biodynamics and all-natural winemaking. Nothing is imported into the vineyard, not even fertilizer. No sulfites in the bottle. No filtering. The lunar calendar guides the cycles of planning and bottling. They trust nature.

“There is no place for fear in the vineyard or the winery or life,” she says.

Uva de Vida is crafted from 100 percent Graciano, an uncommon grape variety indigenous to the Santa Olalla village where the winery is located. The wine is bright, energetic and vibrant, with an evocative perfume. It is a pure expression of nature, culture, the soil and the climate. It is a pure expression of Carmen’s philosophy. To put it another way, her wine is her life.

Learn more about Uva de Vida here.