佩斯特拉酒莊 PESQUERA

除利奧哈（Rioja）之外，斗羅河岸（Ribera del Duero）應是西班牙排名第二的知名產區。斗羅河岸法定產區位在卡斯提亞-萊昂（Castilla y León）自治區內，屬斗羅河（Duero River）最上游的明星產區。多數的葡萄園位在河岸3公里以內距離，產區全長113公里，葡萄園海拔自700公尺爬升到1,000公尺，也因海拔高，春霜是本產區最大的天然危害。斗羅河岸夏季炎熱，有時氣溫可高達攝氏42度，夜間則因高海拔而涼爽宜人。極大的溫差，加上年降雨量僅約500公厘，造就此釀酒寶地。雖然適宜釀酒，羅馬人也早將釀酒技術與文化根植此地，然而，一直要到1846年西班牙國寶酒莊Vega Sicilia建莊之後，本區才有了引人矚目的「亮點」。之後的100多年，並未有酒質高超的酒莊隨之建立，僅Vega Sicilia一支獨秀。幸而1970年代，釀酒天才費南戴茲（Alejandro Fernández）竄出，才使本區再度受到矚目。僅接著下來的1986年，美國著名酒評家Robert Parker在嚐到費南戴茲所釀酒款後，將之譽為「西班牙的Château Pétrus」，更使斗羅河岸聲名大噪，一躍成為國際知名的精英產區。事實上，當1982年斗羅河岸法定產區成立時，全區只有24家酒莊，到了2005年底時酒莊數目已經高達215家。僅在20幾年間，這廣闊的高原臺地歷經了顯著的地貌轉變，當地人拔除了原本種植穀物和甜菜的地塊，將其轉化為超過20,000公頃的葡萄園。
蛻變 傳奇
費南戴茲出生於1932年，14歲即離家於農田裡工作，後來還陸續從事過木工、鐵匠等工作，甚至改良耕種甜菜以及穀物的農耕機。然而，自小，費南戴茲便從父親那學得釀酒技術，每年都以父親所留的一小塊葡萄園釀酒；即長，建立酒莊的夢想未遠，這一暗埋心底的想望直到1972年才與妻子Esperanza一起攜手創立，以所在地的村名Pesquera命酒莊為佩斯特拉酒莊（Tinto Pesquera）。剛開始，費南戴茲雇用釀酒師Teofio Reyes為助理釀酒師，雖稱為助理，然而Reyes也一定程度奠定了本莊釀酒的哲學：採取更成熟的果實、縮短桶中陳年的時間。當時西班牙酒業正處於蕭條不振的景況，許多人清掉葡萄園改種甜菜求生存，費南戴茲卻反其道而行，開始種植釀酒葡萄（品種為Tinto Fino，又稱為Tinto del País，即是田帕尼優品種），並於1975年推出第一個年份。不像當時多數傳統酒莊總將葡萄酒於酒窖完全熟成後（橡木桶以及瓶中熟成）才推出上市，佩斯特拉的酒款一如波爾多，更強調瓶中熟成的階段。其實，佩斯特拉上市時，便以濃郁果香和均衡架構令人傾倒，經過幾年瓶中熟成後，其繁複風味更令人眷戀。當然，以上指的是Crianza等級酒款，較高階的Reserva以及Gran Reserva最好在瓶中多熟成個幾年，等酒質轉趨複雜芬馥後再品嚐，回報更大。本莊的釀法以現代的觀點來看，並無特別出奇之處（主要以不鏽鋼桶熟成後，在美國橡木桶裡陳年），除了僅在極佳年份才推出的Janus Gran Reserva除外：50%的葡萄不去梗直接放進傳統的寬大水泥槽發酵，50%以去梗機除梗後在溫控不鏽鋼槽發酵，熟成後再將此「傳統」與「現代」釀法的酒液相混而成。酒名其實取自羅馬門神Janus，傳說中Janus為「雙面門神」，一面看過去，一面看未來；此酒如羅馬神祇，統合了過去與現在的風韻與觀點。本莊另產一款僅出現過兩個年份（1996以及2002），且以法國橡木桶陳年的Millenium Reserva，稀罕質佳，國際酒評都不吝給予高分。

Alejandro Fernandez is the living image of a self-made man. He had always dreamt of setting up his own winery and making great red wines while he was making a living doing different jobs as a young man.

Following on from the family tradition learnt from is father,Alejandro would make wine each year from the grapes of his small vineyards.However,he had to wait until 1972 to have his own real winery. It had a small 16th century winepress where almost the whole
process was conducted.Ten years would pass before the Tinto Pesquera winery would look more or less the same as it does today. The ancient winepress,however,stillsurvives to this day.

The first years were not easy.It was common practice at the time to uproot vinesand substitute them for irrigated crops like  beetroot.However,Alejandro carried onplanting vines and was the first to introduce the espalier system(in the"Vina Alta" vineyard) to the area even took him for a madman.

But time would put things in their place.More than 200 hectares of beautiful vineyards today supply the winery. Some vines grow on gravel terraces and others on high tablelands(like the "Llano Santiago"vineyard at over 1,000 metres above sea level).All of them  provide their nuances to the renowned Pesquera red wines.

All the vineyarsd are planted with Tempranillo vines,the"queen of grapes"and the delicate variety in which Alejandro is a master.

Today,the results of such great efforts are known and appreciated around the world.These are red wines in which the wood is enormously respectful to the fruit.Wines that gain in complexity and nuances as the years go by without losing their original character. These are Pesquera red wines.