The family’s story began when in 1890 Don Fernando Riili came to Mendoza from Sicily seeking a new life with his wife and five of his thirteen children, the other eight were born here. It’s said that the soils of the area captivated him to start his dream of vine growing outside Europe. They created one of the first family wineries in the area, providing their neighbours with table wine. In 1905, the eight-year-old Don Pedro Giménez Padilla from Granada arrives with his family, later marrying and having seven children, among them Eduardo who then meets Susana Giménez, with whom his dreams and passions begin to intertwine. They marry and buy a vineyard, develop the business and later build a bigger bodega. Thus begins the story of the family Giménez Riili.
Susana and Eduardo also have five sons who have inherited the passion for wine-making of their parents and ancestors. They now focus on quality and different terroirs in various parts of the country.
Everything in the family relates to the sacrifice and desire to pursue common dreams as well as walking their separate paths. The contribution of individual talents has made the family a beautiful factory of passions and projects. – Eduardo Giménez
The family came to the Uco Valley in 2004, creating one of the first wineries in the Vista Flores area, planting high quality clones of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. The Franc was only planted four years ago, so this year will be their first harvest.
They now also have a spectacular vineyard in Altamira with 46-year-old Malbec vines, which are used for their flagship wine. Both vineyards are at an altitude of about 1100m where it is cooler than the rest of Mendoza in terms of both altitude and latitude. The sunny, warm days and cool nights provide the optimal temperature for high quality grapes. The vineyards are rocky, meaning the roots need to go deep to get the water that drains away quickly. The grapes grown in the Uco Valley have thicker skins, thus creating darker, more complex wine, which can support a greater amount of oak.
The winery has a capacity of 160,000 litres and they work with ten different varietals, including of course Malbec, Bonarda and Cabernet Franc. Many of the wines are named within the theme of the all important family, the Merlot is ‘Buenos Hermanos’, the Cab Franc ‘Padres Dedicados’, the Malbec ‘Gran Familia’ and the top blend ‘Joyas de Familia’.
The winery is set amongst boulders, vineyards and scrubland, looking out towards the mountains. A homely tasting room behind a small pond guarded by metal horse sculptures offers a fabulous vista. You can also stay here if you can’t be dragged away from this beauty, and of course the wines, since the building also houses four beautifully appointed rooms.
