25 Dec 2012 We wish you all a very, very Happy Christmas and some fine bottles shared with much warmth. Our Spanish specialist Luis Gutiérrez explains who's who in the Palacios family, about whom Tanya Garnham will be writing all this week. (See here for the first part.)
D José Palacios Remondo was the patriarch of the family, and the head of the winery he created in 1945, Palacios Remondo in Alfaro, Rioja Baja. He had nine children of whom four are or were connected with wine: Antonio the second-born, Chelo (Consuelo, a girl) the third, Álvaro the seventh and Rafa (Rafael) the youngest. Antonio, Chelo and Álvaro started working for the family winery but Álvaro left in 1989 to start his thing (L'Ermita, etc) in Priorat. Rafa, the youngest, joined the family business, where he developed the white Placet, one of the icons of the new white riojas. Eventually Rafa left to focus on white wine, and created his own project in Valdeorras with the Godello grape (As Sortes, Louro do Bolo) from the 2004 vintage.
One of Chelo's sons, Ricardo Perez Palacios (pictured), was interested in wine and after stints here and there and studying in France (as they all did), he teamed up with his uncle Álvaro to create the Bierzo winery about which Tanya Garnham is writing all this week [late 2012 – JR], named in honour of Álvaro's dad and Ricardo's granddad, who passed away in 2000 shortly after they started (the first vintage for Corullón and Bierzo wines was 1999). Antonio left Palacios Remondo (I believe he is now a teacher) and his daughter is showing signs of being interested in winemaking. Álvaro returned to Palacios Remondo to take over. So the situation right now is:
- Álvaro is in Priorat, in Palacios Remondo in Rioja and in Bierzo with his nephew Ricardo
- Ricardo is only in Bierzo
- Chelo remains in Palacios Remondo in Rioja
- Rafa is in Valdeorras
