PHOTOS: Alex Godoy
The César Manrique Foundation and Bodegas El Grifo presented this Tuesday the wine "Malvasía de César", the result of the collaboration agreement signed between both parties to honor the artist on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. The event, which took place at the FCM headquarters, was attended by the president and director of the Foundation, José Juan Ramírez and Fernando Gómez Aguilera, as well as the owners of the winery, Juan José and Fermín Otamendi.
For the image of this limited edition, a fragment of the Lanzarote mural, which the artist made in 1953 for the old airport terminal, has been used, and a representative of the Owen-Illinois glass factory was in charge of explaining how the digital printing on the glass was carried out.
"The personalized design has been coordinated by Juvasa and is very special, turning the packaging into a collectible object," they highlight from the Foundation, which has agreed with El Grifo to launch a limited series of 14,000 numbered bottles. The bottled wine is a dry white wine for aging, 100% Volcanic Malvasia, 2017 vintage, aged on its lees for more than a year.
Manrique, "ambassador" and friend of the winery
For its part, El Grifo recalls the relationship that César Manrique maintained with this winery, which began in the 1940s through the mother of the current owners, Antonia Rodríguez Bethencourt. "The bond of friendship was inherited by the next generation," they point out.
In addition, they recall that César is the author of the winery's corporate identity, reinterpreting the figure of the mythological animal known as the "Griffin Bird". In fact, the artist signed the monument to said figure, at the two entrance doors to the winery.
Similarly, they emphasize that Manrique acted "as a great ambassador for the winery", since "when he exhibited in countries such as Germany, he tried to put several boxes of El Grifo together with the paintings, and presented them to the guests as the most appreciated wines of his island".
