Brief History
Bodegas Robles was founded in 1927, the date in which our grandparents Antonio José and Pilar moved to this land in search of the best wine grapes. In this fashion, together they became intimately acquainted with the vineyards “la Toledana”, “el Canillo”, “Cabriñana” and “Cañada del Navarro”, located in the Sierra de Montilla and one of the best production areas.
Without the vision of Antonio José and Pilar, the quality of the Bodegas Robles wines would not have been possible. However it takes more than great grapes to make great wines. A great winery is also required and that’s where the work of our father, Francisco Robles, has been instrumental: in 1975 the construction of the current facilities on the outskirts of Montilla was carried out and when it made its final relocation from its original location in the town centre. It was at this time when the winemaking at Bodegas Robles what it is today was defined: a place where contemporary technology and traditional techniques come together.
In the late nineties, the third generation took over the reins of the winery. The siblings Pilar and Francisco Robles understand that, we are supporters of a return, rather than progress. In this fashion, it was decided that the principles of our grandparents must be upheld and the implementation thereof using the current best available. That is precisely what we found in organic farming.
In 1999 we contacted the Andalusian Ecological Agriculture Committee (now Asociación Ecovalia (Ecovalia – Ecological Value Association)) commenced on the road to a paradigm shift of the agrienvironmental model.
At that time, the training available in Spain was scarce and Francisco Robles moved to Poio (Galicia) to attend an organic viticulture training course organised by the Vida Sana Association, which has been working since 1981 on organic farming. Later on, he attended various advanced specialisation courses on Organic Farming in Seville. In 2001 was the moment to implement what has been learnt: the University of Cordoba oversees the research project in the winery and demonstrates that it is possible to implement organic viticulture in Montilla.
Cultivating organic grapes with the greatest intensity and quality of flavours and aromas that we know, overseeing its natural process and conveying all that wealth of the fruit in the wine.
In other words: we make wines belonging to their soil.
This plant cover releases the necessary nutrients at the optimal time to ensure healthy growth and high quality grape aromas, attracts beneficial insects that control pests, improves soil fertility and prevents soil erosion.
Winery work
In the winery, the elaboration team led by the oenologist Rocío Márquez and the winery foreman Vicente Martínez Robles, pay special attention to the use of indigenous yeasts and physical processing of the wine. In this fashion, the fermentation of our wines is elaborated with indigenous yeasts which are present in the soil of the vineyard and reaches the winery attached to the skin of the grape.
That is why the ecological care of our vineyard is so important: the yeasts are primarily responsible for the wine to express what it is, transforming the sugars in the grape must into alcohol. When one speaks about wines which manage to express an identity, the indigenous yeasts are regarded as almost a must do obligation.
In other words: elaborating wines which express a purity, the faithful reflection of the soil and varietal character of the grape. Wines belonging to their soil.
The contribution of Pilar Robles and Rocío Márquez to the winery, was recognised in 2014 and 2017 with the Great Diamond Prize of the International Wine and Women Competition (Salón del Gourmet “Gourmet Show”, Madrid), a competition which attempts to place true value to wines produced by wineries where women hold management positions or positions of responsibility.
Work as regards the wine
The creation of meeting points between the creative sector and the winery have also been key factors in the communication and promotion strategy designed by Juan Bolaños, our marketing manager.
Since 2011 we carried out the Keep an eye on your vine initiative, a genuine immersion for anyone interested in learning firsthand organic wine production.
In 2012 we developed the labotelladelvino (the wine bottle), a new packaging line which updates the tradition of selling bulk wine with a reusable package that combines considerable care in design, technology with which the wines are transported and preserved and the reduction of the carbon footprint. In 2015, labotelladelvino (the wine bottle) receives the first prize for best packaging line in the DEARTE Wine Awards (14th DEARTE International Fair, Madrid)
The Robles family has been dedicated to wine making in Montilla (Southern Spain) since 1927. In the late 1990s, the third generation takes over the winery and understands the need to incorporate organic viticulture and work with indigenous yeasts into the tradition of the winery.
However, there is nothing accidental about the vineyard: it is the result of years of research in which the winery in Córdoba maintains a permanent dialogue with the University and various national and international research centres.
Our approach is quite straightforward: grow the most intense and flavorful organic grapes that you can, guide the natural process and draw all the fruit’s richness into the wine.
And if awards have something to say something on the matter, it seems that we have achieved the objective:
Best Organic Company in Spain in 2006
Biodiversity Foundation and the Ministry of the Environment of Spain.
Best Organic Production in Spain in 2014
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment.
Wine Tourism Award "Wine Routes of Spain" 2016
Spanish Association of Wine Cities (ACEVIN) and the Spanish Tourism Institute (Turespaña).
Agriculture and Fisheries Awards 2017
Andalusian Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Brief History
Bodegas Robles was founded in 1927, the date in which our grandparents Antonio José and Pilar moved to this land in search of the best wine grapes. In this fashion, together they became intimately acquainted with the vineyards “la Toledana”, “el Canillo”, “Cabriñana” and “Cañada del Navarro”, located in the Sierra de Montilla and one of the best production areas.
Without the vision of Antonio José and Pilar, the quality of the Bodegas Robles wines would not have been possible. However it takes more than great grapes to make great wines. A great winery is also required and that’s where the work of our father, Francisco Robles, has been instrumental: in 1975 the construction of the current facilities on the outskirts of Montilla was carried out and when it made its final relocation from its original location in the town centre. It was at this time when the winemaking at Bodegas Robles what it is today was defined: a place where contemporary technology and traditional techniques come together.
In the late nineties, the third generation took over the reins of the winery. The siblings Pilar and Francisco Robles understand that, we are supporters of a return, rather than progress. In this fashion, it was decided that the principles of our grandparents must be upheld and the implementation thereof using the current best available. That is precisely what we found in organic farming.
In 1999 we contacted the Andalusian Ecological Agriculture Committee (now Asociación Ecovalia (Ecovalia – Ecological Value Association)) commenced on the road to a paradigm shift of the agrienvironmental model.
At that time, the training available in Spain was scarce and Francisco Robles moved to Poio (Galicia) to attend an organic viticulture training course organised by the Vida Sana Association, which has been working since 1981 on organic farming. Later on, he attended various advanced specialisation courses on Organic Farming in Seville. In 2001 was the moment to implement what has been learnt: the University of Cordoba oversees the research project in the winery and demonstrates that it is possible to implement organic viticulture in Montilla.
Cultivating organic grapes with the greatest intensity and quality of flavours and aromas that we know, overseeing its natural process and conveying all that wealth of the fruit in the wine.
In other words: we make wines belonging to their soil.
At first glance, Bodegas Robles’ vineyards have the air of a wildly romantic garden, overrun by a layer of lavender, poppies, clover and wildflowers, buzzing with bees and other insects.
This plant cover releases the necessary nutrients at the optimal time to ensure healthy growth and high quality grape aromas, attracts beneficial insects that control pests, improves soil fertility and prevents soil erosion.
In the winery, the elaboration team led by the oenologist Rocío Márquez and the winery foreman Vicente Martínez Robles, pay special attention to the use of indigenous yeasts and physical processing of the wine. In this fashion, the fermentation of our wines is elaborated with indigenous yeasts which are present in the soil of the vineyard and reaches the winery attached to the skin of the grape.
That is why the ecological care of our vineyard is so important: the yeasts are primarily responsible for the wine to express what it is, transforming the sugars in the grape must into alcohol. When one speaks about wines which manage to express an identity, the indigenous yeasts are regarded as almost a must do obligation.
In other words: elaborating wines which express a purity, the faithful reflection of the soil and varietal character of the grape. Wines belonging to their soil.
The contribution of Pilar Robles and Rocío Márquez to the winery, was recognised in 2014 and 2017 with the Great Diamond Prize of the International Wine and Women Competition (Salón del Gourmet “Gourmet Show”, Madrid), a competition which attempts to place true value to wines produced by wineries where women hold management positions or positions of responsibility.
The creation of meeting points between the creative sector and the winery have also been key factors in the communication and promotion strategy designed by Juan Bolaños, our marketing manager.
Since 2011 we carried out the Keep an eye on your vine initiative, a genuine immersion for anyone interested in learning firsthand organic wine production.
In 2012 we developed the labotelladelvino (the wine bottle), a new packaging line which updates the tradition of selling bulk wine with a reusable package that combines considerable care in design, technology with which the wines are transported and preserved and the reduction of the carbon footprint. In 2015, labotelladelvino (the wine bottle) receives the first prize for best packaging line in the DEARTE Wine Awards (14th DEARTE International Fair, Madrid)
Bodegas Robles made a risky decision at the end of the 1990s: the production of the first certified organic fortified wines in the world. And this decision led us to a second risky decision: internationalisation. At that time, organic wines were consumed abroad and a family business, like Bodegas Robles, had to take on the challenge.
At that time, organic wines were consumed abroad and a family business, such as Bodegas Robles, had to take on the challenge. Sixteen years later, we continue our work on internationalisation and add new challenges, such as the Asian market.