Wine, our ancestors enjoyed it and we still enjoy it now.
Most important message is that for a healthy body and mind you need to be careful what you eat and drink. You are what you drink and eat. Don’t get angry or scared, because what I am going to tell you probably is not what you expect me to tell you. Make up your own mind about how you are going to interpret this, be wise.
No additives in our wine, Finca Libertad Wine
Like with big pharma we also have big tech, big agri and as a consequence ‘big wine’. Companies offer their clients voluntary and involuntary products that can harm them. Gross profit and increased sales is their goal. But you can decide whether you buy it or not. Why I am still interested in ‘big wine’ is because I myself am involved in ‘small wine’ and I always like comparisons to evaluate and improve my own products. My husband and I are very proud to produce wonderful red and white wine, both completely natural wine. What does this mean, the term ‘natural’? It means that we really don’t add any additives. None. During the whole process, from the growth of the grapes until we bottle the wine, nothing is added. No sugar, no water, no alcohol, no extra sulfites (the grape itself contains sulfite), nothing, nothing. That’s why our volume produced differs per year. That’s also why taste may slightly differ from year to year. But we care for the quality and not for the volume. Only the natural influences/factors like the soil, the sun hours, rain, wind and other natural influences like doves that pick the grapes. Our wine is completely natural. And here comes the first announcement about other wines, wherever you buy them, and that is the fact that commercial wines contain about 7 pesticides. Neurologist Bas Bloem did this investigation and compared drinking wine with drinking Roundup, you probably know this devastating Monsanto/Bayer glyphosate product (Livegreenmagazine 16th January 2021)?!.
Commercial wines contain up to 7 pesticides per glass and more than 100 different additives are used in the wine industry
One step further will bring us to the knowledge that apart from the seven pesticides, more than 100 different ingredients are commonly used by winemakers. I was completely astonished after reading this article in Foodlog. Since December 2023 producers are obliged to report all the ingredients on the label. Winemakers are allowed to use more than 100 different additives for their wines. Dimethyl Dicarbonate, polyvinylpolypyrrolidon, kaliumferrocyanide, carboxymethylcellulose, polygalacturonase, etc. writes Sanne Huysmans in De Standaard. Also sweeteners, dyes, flavorings, de-acidifiers, acidifiers, gums, fish scales and other ‘impovers’. If you think that the taste of your favorite wine is because of pure natural ingredients such as the grapes, the terrain and the weather, in combination with the knowledge and skills of the winemaker, then a cold shower awaits you. By far most wines you buy in the supermarket, they are the result of this clever technical manipulation of a product that is exactly tuned to the specific taste of a consumer type in a specific market segment. That is why we drink a Sauvignon Blanc or a Merlot. Those grape varieties are recognizable for consumers. A Bordeaux or Chianti composed out of different grape varieties is too unpredictable. Says Sanne Huysmans in De Standaard.
People expect their wine to be as it is as they are used to having it. All conditioned behavior. When our guests taste our wine and other wines during a wine tasting they can notice the differences. The majority of guests prefer our wine and before they leave they bring a visit to my little shop in our bodega where they can buy the natural wine. Made by nature and – of course – the passionate work of Alberto and Mónica.
Long ago, as a student at hotelschool the Hague, I didn’t learn about this. Or was it the fact that I perhaps ignored it? Now and then we encounter knowledge which is too hard and too bad to believe and digest. I really think it is a shame that a product like wine is like drinking a cocktail of chemistry. Luckily I started spitting out other wines a long time ago, because as you probably know the taste buds for wine are in your mouth and you start with your nose. Even the aftertaste can be determined without swallowing the wine. Only our own wines I swallow. Although we believe our wine is the very best, we taste some commercial wines from time to time to avoid tunnel vision.
Events on the finca, Bacchus style
Bacchus, as pictured in the wall painting in our bodega, is not only the representation of wine, but also of parties. And for parties Finca Libertad is an excellent place to be. The wonderful combination of our own wine and parties makes it very special. New guests are always very happy about the hospitality and ambience offered by us. They feel at home and enjoy the finca and its surroundings with happy faces, almost continuously smiling. Though it is always a lot of preparation for every event and a lot of afterwork we are looking forward to every event. Most events are just one day, weddings often take two days of excitement and laughter. Events and weddings of up to 50 people at our finca have an intimate and personal character, because of the limited number of people and because of the special character of the finca itself. With all the orchards, the surrounding mountains and the fantastic views.
Just like Bacchus I am fond of wine and parties and I would be glad to welcome you at our finca to enjoy this wonderful combination.
Be welcome at Finca Libertad! Bienvenido a todo!
Warm regards,
Mónica