02 May 2014

Valdeorras pays homage to the father of the Godello: Horacio Fernández Presa

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The event will be held on May 23 at the Casa Grande de Viloira (O Barco) with the collaboration of the Regulatory Council 

A group of people from the region of Valdeorras is hosting a tribute to the figure of Horacio Fernández Presa, former head of the Valdeorras-Trives Office Area agricultural regional (formerly known as the Agrarian Extension of O Barco Agency), promoter of the plan REVIVAL (restructuring of vineyards of Valdeorras), co-founder of the winery Godeval and a defender winegrower of the region valdeorresa throughout his life. Horacio Fernández Presa died on May 17, 2013, and at the end of a year of its disappearance, they try to keep alive the spirit of work known by many as ‘father of the godello’ by putting up REVIVAL plan to restore native varieties in the region, including the godello. A variety which at the end of the 1970s, when they were implemented the work of recovery, was almost extinct and that today enjoys prestige and recognition around the world.

Horacio-Medalla-Galicia-año-1999

This memory of his life and work held it in the Casa Grande de Viloira (O Barco) in the room Julian Trincado, on May 23 at 20:30 hours. The tribute will also include a cocktail that will be present several wineries registered with the Valdeorras designation of origin wines. They are on sale tickets, at the price of 10€ per person, available in the agrarian regional office (Casa Grande de Viloira), at the offices of the Unions Agrarias partners (Unions Agrarias, Asaja and Sindicato Labrego Galego) in the region and at the headquarters of the Regulatory Council in Vilamartín. It is also open an account number so that those who are outside the region can book your tickets the value of it entering the account number: ES3600310051981120000308 of the Banco Etcheverría (office O Barco) and then sending a receipt and your personal data to the e-mail: valdeorrasesvino@gmail.com. Donations in this account number is also support to Finance Act and other upcoming activities. Donors will receive recognition of the day of tribute, unless they indicate otherwise.

A TRIBUTE AND MORE

The event is being organised by a group of people related to the wine-growing sector and with the social, political and cultural life of the region. Among them is the Chairman of the regulatory Council, Jose Luis Garcia Pando, as well as representatives of wineries, agricultural unions, a cultural association, political groupings and a guide tourism. They are that this Act will be the starting point to create an association and through it organize other activities related to the viticulture, among which is the idea of creating a prize of viticulture which will bear the name of Horacio Fernández Presa. These activities are still taking shape and continue reporting them in the coming weeks.

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BIOGRAPHY HORACIO FERNÁNDEZ PRESA

Born  in Armunia (León) in 1932, Horacio Fernández Presa entered in 1966 in the service of Agrarian Extension of the region of Valdeorras as area manager, beginning a passionate relationship with the vineyard. In the search for alternatives to the location of the viticulture of the area created in 1974, in collaboration with winemaker Luis Hidalgo, the REVIVAL program: restructuring of vineyards of Valdeorras, whose objective was the recovery of the native Godello variety, which was then endangered since he was just 0.05% compared to the rest of the varieties in the area.

Horacio Fernández Presa left his post in the regional agrarian Office in 1997 by retirement and continued linked to the world of wine through the winery Godeval than the co-founded with a group of friends. He died on May 17, 2013 at the age of 81.

AWARDS FOR HIS WORK THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE

Received numerous awards and recognitions. The most prominent are the agricultural merit Medal and the bronze medal of Castelao. His Majesty King Juan Carlos, in recognition of the work carried out in agricultural Extension, Horacio Fernández decorated in 1978 with the agricultural merit medal. In 1999, the Xunta de Galicia awarded him the Castelao Medal of bronze by recovery of Godello variety works.

 

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