Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares are a group of small wineries scattered throughout Spain that have been joining the family group since 2002.
Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares has a wide portfolio of Spanish wines with different characteristics and backgrounds. All of them with a common denominator; produced with different indigenous varieties of grapes, a refined image and an unbeatable relation between its quality and its price in the commercial market where they are sold.
The origins of the winery date from 1916, when Juan Gil Gimènez, great-grandfather of the present generation, started getting involved in the world of wines, building a winery in the heart of Jumilla.
His son, Juan Gil Guerrero, dedicated his whole life to the wine business, but it was the third generation who really consolidated the winery. Juan Gil Gonzalez together with his brother Paco, the founder’s grandsons, forged an image of quality, reliability, and efficiency with the present generation trying to maintain and improve as much as possible.
The Wines We Will Be Pouring at the International Festival Tasting Room
Bodegas Ateca / Bodegas Tridente / Bodegas Rosario Vera

The vineyards that produce the grapes and organic grapes of Honoro Vera and Honoro Vera Organic are located over 2,300 feet in elevation. These vineyards are over 30 years of age with little production because they are planted on a bed of limestone and sand, very poor in nutrients, ideal for this type of crop.
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ATTECA Old Vines Garnacha Honoro Vera Blanco ($17.99) – Made from 100% Verdejo grapes. The wine exudes intense aromas of white flowers and fresh fruit with exotic tropical notes. There is vivid acidity and mineral balance that leads to a refreshing finish.
The old vine vineyards are very sandy with alluvial pebbles that bring the added complexity of minerality. These high elevation vineyards experience daily temperature variations which may slow maturation and intensify flavors. - Honoro Vera Rioja ($19.49) – 100% Tempranillo. A fruit forward, well-balanced wine with spicy notes on the palate. Ripe tannins, savory and mineral hints complement a pleasant cocoa finish.
- Atteca Old Vines Garnacha ($29.99) – Deep cherry color with intense aromas of red ripe fruit (raspberry) which combine perfectly with the spicy notes of cacao, vanilla and licorice which complement a noble aging. It is very fresh and fruity in the mouth. It has a notable finish where fruit and spice aromas come back via retro-nasal.
- Tridente Rejón Tempranillo ($64.99) – Rejón is the name of the best vineyard of Tempranillo located in the town of El Pego, in the Toro Appellation. This 130 year old vineyard is planted on a top layer of gravel over very sandy soils producing very low yields of less than one ton per acre. This very limited production reflects the typicity and genuineness of the indigenous grapes coming from this unique terroir. The grapes are carefully hand-picked in small baskets of 15 kgs, fermented in small stainless vats and aged in 225 litre French oak barrels for 20 months.
Bodegas Juan Gil
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Juan Gil Silver Label 2014 Silver Label (12 Meses) Monastrell (available at BC Liquor Stores $24.99) – It has a very dark cherry color with purple tones. On the nose it has a powerful aroma of red berries toasted and smoked notes from their aging in oak barriques. It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth it is very long with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol and the oak tones which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.
- Blue Label (18 Meses) Monastrell ($46.99) – Intense black cherry in color, it proffers a nose of toasty and spicy notes and jammy black fruits. It opens in the glass to reveal a complex blend of wild berries, spice box and hints of licorice, coffee and cocoa. Texture is smooth and dense, tannins are ripe and acidity is crisp and mouthwatering. Long, persistent finish. It will evolve well for 2-3 years and drink well for many years.
- Honoro Vera Organic Monastrell ($18.49) – The collection is made in late September. Fermentation is carried out for 10 days with skins in stainless steel tanks with fermentation temperatures not exceeding 80°F. The wine is produced under organic regulations established by European Union norm as well as in the United States.
Cellers Can Blau / Bodegas Atalaya / Bodegas Shaya

Atalaya Winery is a new project within Gil Family Estates in the Almansa D.O. It is located east of Albacete Province among Valencia, Alicante and Murcia, in the transit zone between the Castilian Plateau and the Mediterranean Sea. The winery and vineyards are located 3-km north of Almansa at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. The soils consist mainly of limestone. The predominant grape varieties are Garnacha Tintorera, a variety native to the area, and Monastrell, from which this project builds its wines. Technical direction is provided by Australian-born winemaker Frank Gonzales.
The wine ferments partially in barrel and stays with the lees in its entirety for several months before being bottled. Technical direction is provided by Belinda Thomson of the Australian Crawford River winery in the area of Victoria, and Alastair Gardner.
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LAYA Garnacha Monastrell Laya Garnacha-Monastrell (available at BC Liquor Stores $14.49) – Garnacha Tintorera is known for its deep color and here it coats the glass and imparts aromas of brooding black fruits, licorice, espresso and pepper. Dense, savory and rich.
- Shaya Verdejo ($24.99) – It displays a nose of toasty baking spices, nutmeg, spring flowers, marzipan, and pit fruits. A bit richer and more complex on the palate than the “usual” cuvee, this vibrant effort could evolve for 1 to 2 years but is drinking well now.
- Blau Carinena-Syrah-Garnacha ($21.99) – A blend of 50% Cariñena, 25% Syrah, and 25% Garnacha, aged for 4 months in French oak. The Cariñena and Garnacha vines used for the production of these wines have an approximate age ranging from 25 to 40 years. The vineyards of Garnacha are around 2,000′ in altitude in the area of Comudella de Montsant on slate soils, the Cariñena vineyards in Darmós and Masroig area on clay soils, and the Syrah vineyards are on limestone soils. The fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks for 10 days and then remained in French oak barrels for 4 months.
- Can Blau Carinena-Syrah-Garnacha ($28.49) – A blend of 40% Cariñena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha, aged for 9 months in new French oak. Cherry and purple color tones, the wine exhibits a wonderful collection of attributes, aromatics, strengths, and complexity that provides a window to the possibilities of the D.O. Montsant. Fruity and infused with the soils’ characteristics, it shows a wild, savory mouthfeel and a fresh and spicy finish.
Where Else To Find Us
Bacchanalia Gala Dinner & Auction
Saturday, February 24
6:00 – 10:00pm
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Tridente Rejon Tempranillo 2014
Big, Bold & Beautiful – GFE/Bonhomme Winemaker’s Dinner
Tuesday, February 27th
6:30 – 10:00pm
Espana Restaurant – 1118 Denman St
Miguel Gil & Nathalie Bonhomme
- Honoro Vera Rose 2016
- Kentia Albarino 2016
- Shaya Verdejo 2016
- Tridente Prieto Picudo 2014
- Bluegray Priorato Tinto 2014
- Alaya Tierra Garnacha 2014
- El Grand Bonhomme 2014
- Clio Monastrell Cabernet 2015
Storied Iberia in 9 Wines
Thursday, March 1, 2018
9:30 – 11:30 am
VCC West, MR 109
- Bodegas Tridente Rejón Tempranillo 2014
Spanish Regional Tasting Station
All 6 Tasting Room sessions
- Bodegas Juan Gil Honoro Vera Garnacha 2015
- Bodegas Juan Gil Honoro Vera Rosado 2016
- Bodegas Juan Gil Silver Label (12 Meses) Monastrell 2015
- Bodegas Juan Gil Yellow Label Monastrell 2016
- Bodegas Atalaya Laya Garnacha – Monastrell 2016
- Bodegas Shaya Verdejo 2016
Great Red Grapes
Thursday, March 1, 2018
5:15 – 6:45 pm
VCC West
- Gil Family Estates – Bodegas Juan Gil – Silver Label 2015
Viva Iberia! (grazing lunch)
Saturday, March 3
12:00-2:00pm
VCC West, Level 3
- Honoro Vera Blanco 2016
- Atteca Old Vines Garnacha 2015
- Juan GiI Silver Label (12 Meses) Monastrell 2015
- Honoro Vera Rose 2016
- Laya Garnacha-Monastrell 2016
- Blau Carinena-Syrah-Garnacha 2016
Spain’s Blockbusters
Saturday, March 3, 2018
5:15 – 6:45 pm
VCC West, MR 109
- Bodegas Tridente Rejon Trempranillo 2013
- Bodegas Juan Gil Bodegas El Nido 2015