The craziest winery in Ribera del Duero that Fito, Amaral or Leiva love

"Our winery is young and different, both for its architecture and for our way of understanding the world."

This is how Javier Ajenjo, co-founder of

,

defines his business

, a project inaugurated in 1999, the fruit of the dream of three friends from Aranda de Duero who had known each other since they were four years old, today it has become one of the

Located among vineyards in the municipality of Castrillo de la Vega (Burgos), almost at the exit of kilometer 158 of the N-1, it forms a space in which music, wine and art merge in a perfect pairing. "We love photography, music, cinema, manga and, of course, wine, and all of that is reflected in NEO; it is a little madness in which everything we like fits," says Ajenjo.

Said and done. The entrance to the winery enclosure already promises a different experience: a life-size sculpture of the famous giant robot from the 70s

the modern main building, in turn surrounded by a

with water that serves as a pool in summer for the children of the owners and all the friends who want to sign up. "Mazinger was a gift from a fallero teacher from Valencia, who had been waiting his whole life for someone to do this for him, since he is as much a fan as we are," explains Ajenjo.

As soon as they enter the interior, the visitor realizes that NEO is different and the importance of music in the project. As if it were a record company, a small stage, with instruments, lights and speakers, in which Ajenjo rehearses with his band every Friday, and an exhibition space with hundreds of original photographs of great artists, such as Rosendo, Luz Casal, Bunbury, Loquillo, Coque Malla ... signed by them, give way to the NEO Music Box, the

.

"Our life is divided between wine and music. Before creating the business, the Sonorama Ribera festival (which is held in August in Aranda de Duero) was born, of which we have been part from day one, and which has as signs of identity music and wine ". The studio was designed and built by Phillip Newell, the person who created

. "At the time we contacted him, he was in Australia doing a job at the Sydney Opera House. We didn't have much budget but we drove him crazy with a few bottles of wine to bring him home and we convinced him!"

Since then, a lot of national and international groups, which have also been present at Sonorama, have recorded in that studio, such as La MODA, Second, Izal and emerging bands "that can take advantage of NEO Music Box to record in an absolutely professional way. and with very affordable prices ".

According to Ajenjo, there are also many artists who regularly visit the winery to have fun, eat and drink well and, incidentally, play some songs.

Bands like Shinova, Arde Bogotá,

"feel at home when they come. They call me and say: hey, can you make me a sucker? And I answer them, come on!"

The Neo Music Box recording studio.

300 barrels and the millennium falcon

When the idea for the winery arose 22 years ago, its founders never imagined that the initial project, which starts with 13,000 bottles of wine, would reach current numbers: an

sales of more than 50 countries, a company in which 35 people work and some 25 hectares of vineyards owned in different areas of the Ribera del Duero that produce 400,000 kg of grapes and give rise to five reds (Neo, Neo Punta Esencia, Sentido, El Arte de Vivir y Disco) and two whites (Neo Viñas Viejas and Neo Albillo Mayor).

Its peculiar barrel room, where there are about 300 stored, is guarded by a life-size replica

, the famous aircraft of Commander Han Solo in the Star Wars saga.

It is another of the samples of including everything they love in the winery: "We are absolute followers of the

saga

, since we saw it born and grow, and it has been fundamental in our imagination," says Ajenjo.

There, the wines

for six to 24 months in barrels.

Javier Ajenjo in the NEO.MC Barrel Room

The brand is committed to

: "We try to have a very clear philosophy regarding what we produce. It is fine to drink a 50-euro wine sometime, but that cannot be done every day," says Ajenjo. In its highest lines, such as

and

the productions are very limited, 15,000 and 4000 bottles, respectively, but the prices are moderate to be so few units. A bottle of Neo costs in the cellar around 12.50 euros and one of Punta Esencia, 19.50 euros. On the other hand, wines such as

or

They start from 3.50 euros.

"We believe that the best way to encourage consumption and make the culture of wine known among the youngest is to make it affordable. And, of course, make it attractive in terms of image and experience, because once they discover this world they realize that it is something special and it creates unique moments in their lives. "

To "make it attractive at the image level" they return to the world of music.

For example, some of the boxes that six bottles come in are designed as if they were speakers or

Others are included in cases for guitars and the red Disco (6 euros) is labeled with a polaroid of a vinyl, while the strip that covers the cork represents the

of a record.

A wine box shaped like a music amplifier.

Data of interest:

Address:

National Highway 122, Km 274.5.

Castrillo de la Vega (Burgos).

Information and reservations for guided tours: www.bodegasneo.com and tel .: 947 514 393.

NEO vineyards in the Ribera del Duero.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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