SPAIN, SEGOVIA
MicroBio Wines is an artisanal winery located in Nieva, a small historic village in the province of Segovia, at the heart of the DO Rueda appellation, one of Spain’s most renowned wine regions for the production of Verdejo. Founded in 1998 by Ismael Gozalo, a fifth-generation winegrower, MicroBio was born from a deep family tradition connected to the viticulture of Nieva and the preservation of the region’s ancient vineyards. The Gozalo family has historically been linked to Viñedos de Nieva, one of the area’s most important wineries, later acquired by the Martúe group. Before founding MicroBio, Ismael Gozalo collaborated with Javier Zaccagnini — founder of Aalto and Sei Solo in Ribera del Duero — in the creation of Ossian, a project that quickly became one of Spain’s leading references for premium white wines made from old Verdejo vines. Following the entry of Pago de Carraovejas into the Ossian project, Ismael decided to pursue a more personal and independent path, establishing MicroBio Wines with the aim of producing authentic, terroir-driven wines with no compromises. Today, MicroBio Wines remains a purely family-run project built on an artisanal, sustainable and low-intervention philosophy. From the very beginning, the winery’s goal has been to craft wines with strong personality while preserving varietal character, fruit purity and the genuine expression of the terroir. MicroBio’s vineyards include ancient plots of Verdejo, Tempranillo, Garnacha and Syrah planted on sandy soils, a key feature that allowed many ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines to survive. These own-rooted vineyards are now considered an exceptional viticultural heritage within the DO Rueda region. Ismael Gozalo’s philosophy is based on minimal intervention both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Fermentations occur spontaneously, while aging is carried out using different vessels and materials in order to enhance the unique identity of each wine. The winery itself is located beneath an ancient monastery in Nieva, providing naturally ideal conditions for delicate and respectful winemaking. MicroBio Wines is also recognized as one of the most innovative producers within the Spanish natural wine movement thanks to its constant experimentation. This approach has given rise to unique wines such as Issée, a Verdejo fermented and aged in amphorae; Rack, produced from cloudy musts in a reductive environment; Sin Rumbo, characterized by oxidative pressing techniques; and Kilómetro 0, an orange wine fermented in amphora with skin contact. Among the winery’s flagship wines is Microbio, a Verdejo produced through whole-cluster pressing and aged in large Mosel oak casks. At the top of the range stands Frágil, a Verdejo fermented and aged in glass demijohns to allow nothing to stand between the terroir and the bottle. Total production is extremely limited: approximately 10,000 bottles per year divided among 15 different labels, including artisanal white wines, red wines and orange wines. This limited production reflects the winery’s commitment to preserving quality, authenticity and the individual identity of every wine. Today, MicroBio Wines is considered one of the most exciting and respected projects in Spanish artisanal viticulture, becoming a benchmark for lovers of Verdejo, old vines, natural wines and low-intervention winemaking within the DO Rueda appellation.
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