Gulp Hablo

On the high-desert plateaus of La Mancha, the family-run Bodegas Parra Jiménez crafts natural wines from certified organic and sustainable vineyards. They turn an array of native and international grapes into wines of purity, structure, and elegance.

The Parra family has farmed the fields of La Mancha for generations, but it wasn’t until 1993 that they had a winery to their name. The region’s winemaking mainstream still viewed organic viticulture as an eccentricity back then—but that didn’t deter brothers Francisco, Javier, and Luis Parra. They settled in the town of Las Mesas outside Cuenca, and exported their first certified organic wine in 1996.

After building new facilities on the Cuesta Colorá farm in 2004, they started expanding beyond wine. Their vision had always been to establish a biodynamic, self-sustaining ecosystem. So they started raising sheep and planted garlic, cereals, peas, and lentils—closing their agricultural loop. They’ve received Sohiscert organic certification and Demeter biodynamic certification, and today, they also sell organic garlic and Manchego cheese.

Since 2017, Javier’s son Pablo has helmed the winemaking operation. He applies knowledge from his studies at the University of Ribera del Duero and input from the renowned Juan Antonio Ponce to create a lineup of focused and well-structured natural wines. He’s brought an adventurous streak to the estate, expanding beyond traditional winemaking to experiment with orange wines, pet-nats, and amphorae-aged bottlings.

As Pablo continues to push the boundaries, he’s even further entrenching Bodegas Parra Jiménez status as a model of biodynamic farming and winemaking in the region.