Official Opening of Winery & Vineyards Castiblanque
Past and Future come together in Campo de Criptana

On December 4th, the doors of this Spanish winery in La Mancha opened to invite its guests on a very special journey back in time. Under the slogan, “THE FUTURE IS TODAY”, various scenes from long ago integrated perfectly with the newly refurbished winery. Along with costumed and theatrical old fashioned grape crushers, Quijotes, Sanchos and Cervantes, the guests strolled through the many rooms and cellars, where they could witness the delicate processes in action and appreciate the good taste and craftsmanship that went into combining the most modern technology with a traditional surrounding.

Among the invites that attended the opening, many names stood out such as Mercedes Gomez (Councillor of Agriculture for Castilla La Mancha), Jesús Bárcenas (President of CEPYME: Spain), Alipio Lara (President of IVICAM), Esteban Esquinas (Representative of the Agriculture and Environment Ministrys), Juan José Fuentes (Industry Representative) and Santiago Lucas Torres (Mayor of Campo de Criptana), all of whom raved about everything from the stage performances to the delicious wines made by Winery & Vineyards Castiblanque.

After seating the many guests in the assembly hall, Félix Ramiro, fashion designer and television host from La Mancha, in his own “master of ceremony” style, called the real stars of the event on stage, that being Jesús, Juan Pablo y Miguel Ángel Castiblanque. The family members stressed the importance of their love for the land in which they were born and the need to bet on their heritage and their roots. Along the same line, they also paid a simple yet moving tribute to Mr. Simpliciano Olivares, the previous owner of the winery, who declared his admiration for the transformation that has taken place by saying: “This isn’t just a winery anymore, it’s an actual wine-making museum”.

The Councillor of Agriculture of Castilla La Mancha, Mercedes Gómez took the stage and emphasized the pride that this means for the region. Having a new winery, that is a family-owned and run and equipped with the finest technology contributes to the growing public recognition and prestige that wines from this region deserve. She also pointed out the symbolism that this renovation means regarding the evolution of the sector of Castilla La Mancha because as she says, “Quality is achieved with the wisdom of tradition and experience, combined with the use of the newest available technological means”.

The event continued with Luis Cobos, one of the most international and loved figures who comes from La Mancha. He was given an award to thank him for his participation as ambassador of Castiblanque and La Mancha. The distinguished musician was in charge of presenting the stellar performance of the evening: the accredited and reputable guitarist and composer José María Gallardo del Rey, who played his own pieces as well as those of Gaspar Sanz and Granados.

Immediately following the concert, the official inauguration ceremony took place on the patio of the winery, where Jesús Castiblanque and Mercedes Gómez unveiled the commemorative plaque. They were accompanied by other celebrities and local figures. The guests were then taken on a tour of the interior to visit the reception area, the laboratory, the tasting room, and the cellars, which spoke for themselves, boasting again about the perfect harmony that has been created between the old and the new. Finally, the cocktails were poured and the guests were entertained by the jazz group, “JAM BAND”.

The opening of Winery & Vineyards Castiblanque was also attended by various press people from TVE-CLM, RTV-CLM, RNE-CLM, Localia TV, Cadena SER, Cadena COPE, Sobremesa, Vivir el Vino, Alimentos de Castilla La Mancha,... and the list goes on.