Valcabadino

We first encountered Enrique, the soul behind Valcabadino, at the Salón de los Mejores hosted by the Peñín Guide in 2023. Among more than 500 winemakers at the event, his wines stood out instantly — for their bold character, layered complexity, and unmistakable personality.

Valcabadino is located in Zamora, at 700 meters above sea level, where Enrique tends to his vineyard surrounded by rich vegetation and steeped in history. His 70-year-old Malvasía vines, inherited from his grandparents, are the heart of his work. A small-scale, deeply hands-on winemaker, Enrique describes his journey as a mix of formal training and "learning by mistake." In fact, for the first decade, he wasn’t satisfied with the results and turned every vintage into vinegar — until he finally created a wine he was proud to bottle.

Enrique’s approach is creative, bold, and unconventional. He loves to experiment with long lees aging, Hungarian and French oak, micro-oxygenation, and even biological maturation in certain wines. Some cuvées include a small percentage of Moscatel, which adds a unique aromatic lift and complexity.

His wines are crafted in ancient Arabic caves, discovered by his ancestors centuries ago. These cool, humid underground spaces lend his wines a remarkable depth and elegance that are difficult to replicate.

Although his style remains somewhat underappreciated in the broader Spanish market, where more traditional profiles dominate, true wine enthusiasts recognize the rarity and originality of what he does. Enrique is crafting one of the most distinctive Malvasías in Spain — with passion, patience, and a willingness to break the mold — making Valcabadino a true hidden gem in the Spanish wine landscape.