In the 19th century, Jerez experienced its grand Golden Age. Its fortified wines conquered Europe—especially England—and the wineries flourished like never before. Yet, amidst such success, something essential was lost: diversity. In the Andalusian fields, there existed more than 119 grape varieties with which the locals crafted still white wines, fresh and full of character. Over time, many of these vines were uprooted, replaced by palomino and Pedro Ximénez, and with them vanished part of the original soul of the Jerez vineyard.
Two centuries later, Ramiro Ibáñez, from his winery Cota 45 in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, strives to restore that lost voice to the region. Alongside other oenologists, he creates the collective “Manifiesto 119,” dedicated to reviving ancient varieties and advocating for a viticulture that respects the land, the climate, and the history of Jerez.
His wine UBE Maína La Charanga is a living testament to this philosophy. It hails from the southernmost part of the historic Maína vineyard, last unified in 1794. Crafted with Listán blanco (Palomino) and aged under flor on albariza de barajuelas soils, it combines freshness, salinity, and depth.
UBE Maína La Charanga is an homage to the wines that once were and those that are being reborn. A reminder that Jerez not only looks to the past but is indeed reliving it, grape by grape.