La Tintilla, a well-kept treasure in the vineyards of the Cádiz province, is our most emblematic native grape variety.

The earliest records of this grape date back to the 17th century. In the *Essay on the varieties of common vine growing in Andalusia*, published by Simón de Roxas Clemente in 1807, this Andalusian variety was catalogued. The 19th century saw a great boom in its cultivation in the region, with two specific types of wines produced: a dry red wine, similar to those now being crafted by some wineries in Cádiz, and a sweet wine obtained by mixing Tintilla must fermented with arrope — a reduction made by cooking grape must. These wines were highly prized in Europe and were almost entirely exported to select markets. The variety endured until the arrival of phylloxera in the early 19th century, which practically made it disappear.

Tintilla is a late-budding and late-ripening vine, upright in growth, and with low yield. The best soils for planting are sandy and clayey types. The grapes are small, spherical, and range in color from dark bluish to black, with small clusters. They have a low juice yield but high sugar content and moderate acidity.

The revival of Tintilla, a reality

One of Sancha Pérez’s founding goals was to revive the cultivation of olive trees and vines in the area, and among grape varieties, to specifically focus on restoring Tintilla to enjoy this enological relic as something new and different from other wines.

For all these reasons, at Sancha Pérez we are very proud to launch our single-varietal ‘Tintilla,’ an organic wine aged 12 months in oak barrels, very fresh, powerful, and balanced.

It is our hope that it becomes a hallmark of our winery and the towns of the La Janda region, where it was rooted more than two centuries ago.