In 2017, Félix Marina Gil, a native of Ribera del Duero from the small town of Hoyales de Roa, determined to rescue and raise the awareness of the Albillo Mayor grape, founded Bodega Feliz and Vino Feliz was born. Albillo Mayor is an autochthonous white grape from Ribera del Duero that was being forgotten and pulled to replant other varietals in the region. Approximately, only 1,000 hectares of Albillo Mayor exist in the world, with about 500 of those hectares located in Ribera del Duero. Bodega Feliz is the only winery in Ribera del Duero solely making white wine, all from the Albillo Mayor grape.
When Félix founded Bodega Feliz, many thought he was crazy for launching a project focused on white wines in one of the most important red wine regions of the world. However, in 2019, the Denomination of Origin of Ribera del Duero also saw the importance of rescuing the autochthonous grape and designated Albillo Mayor as the white grape of Ribera del Duero. Having launched the project crafting his wines under the Denomination of Origin of Castilla y León, as the Albillo Mayor grape was not an approved varietal in Ribera del Duero in 2017, Marina Gil has the distinction of bringing to market the first Albillo Mayor with the name Ribera del Duero on the label. A fun trivia fact is that although the varietal was approved by the Denomination of Origin in 2019, the first vintage of Feliz that came to market had the year 2018 on the label as the grapes were harvested in 2018, prior to the varietal being named the official white grape of Ribera del Duero.
For centuries the Albillo Mayor grape has mostly been used to make Clarete, a pink wine produced by blending red and white grapes. Since the varietal had not been a priority in the region for many years, most of the vines of Albillo Mayor in existence are old vines and are found planted randomly throughout different parcels of Tempranillo. As part of his rescue mission, Félix Marina Gil planted one of the first vineyards in the region solely dedicated to Albillo Mayor in his hometown of Hoyales de Roa. To date, he has 7 hectares dedicated to the varietal.
Bodega Feliz produces four wines, all of them 100% Albillo Mayor. Feliz, which means happy in Spanish, is the wine in the lineup that showcases the grape in its purest form. The wine harmoniously highlights the fruit, acidity and inviting structure of the grape making it a refreshing sip that will literally make you happy. The fruit for Feliz comes from Félix’s 7-hectare vineyard. Bodega Feliz also produces our favorite orange wine called Feliz Skins which is a great one to pair with an array of foods. While many orange wines lean toward being a bit funky, Félix has found a way to craft an orange wine that is fresh on the nose and palate. Feliz Skins along with Cepas Entre Viñas and Félix Marina Gil which are the other two wines produced by the winery are made using fruit from old vines. Cepas Entre Viñas (Vines Among Vineyards) is produced by aging the wine for 12 months in barrel while the Félix Marina Gil ages one year in barrel and six moths to a year in clay amphoras. Both of them are elegant, complex and a treat to enjoy. Félix, who also owns a restaurant called La Pícara Gastroteca in Aranda de Duero, began his entrepreneurial career in the restaurant world. Perhaps that is why we have found his wines to be such great food companions. Bodega Feliz only produces about 2,500 cases of wine making the wines a bit hard to find but undoubtedly rewarding when you track them down.
If you are looking for wines with soul that bring a smile to your face try Vino Feliz, the white wine of Ribera del Duero.