With a total area of 80.14 hectares, Casas Novas is property of Mrs. Encarnación Cruz-Guzmán López

In the consecutive title deeds from at least 1942 when the property was purchased by the current owner's grandfather on the father's side, the property is known as ‘la finca CASAS NOVAS al sitio de la Ribera de Olivenza'. The property is located in the Badajoz municipality and is separated from Olivenza's by the river with the same name which flows into the Guadiana river in an approximate distance of 6 km

The access road is located in the road Badajoz-Olivenza on the 15.5 kilometric point

The state had a country house, plants and silos . Some plants and the silos into disuse were conditioned to shelter the wine cellar and the annexe premises as: ageing silo, bottle warehouse-wine cellar, laboratory, labelling and packaging room, etc…

Directorship, managing and control .

The responsibility for both the vineyards and the winery is under Mr. Andrés de Olano, Coronel in the reserve of the army air corps where he served for 35 years, most of them as a fighter pilot and who is in this new activity as meticulous and dedicated as in his previous job.

The result of the latter is the meticulous control in every action this crop requires . The permanent study of the consequences in every action and as a result, the modifications he has introduced. Covering his inexperience with all kinds of books, studies, questions to other vine growers and also with the uncountable experiences with the trial and error method, analysing all the data by means of a data base where he introduced every data and of course, turning to professional services when his own means are insufficient

No program enjoys rigid application but the ones related to inspections and auditions . They must adopt the climatic and vegetative conditions in every season because there are never two alike.

In the other hand each climate, kind of grape, soil etc... implies different peculiarities that derive in differences in every plantation, even being close. This is the reason why different actions must be applied to a vine grower or another. What is useful to one may not be so for another.

A noteworthy example : The foliar analyses always show a lack in potassium. The recommendation was: increasing the potassium fertilising. Analyses of potassium cations (K (+) ) in grapes carried out by the INTAEX (Agroalimentary Technologic Institute of Extremadura) demonstrated that these had twice the recommended amount and more than in the same region's analysed vineyards, so the potassium fertilising should be reduced even more.
On the other hand, the lacks in foliar analyses have to be taken as guiding data and can only be used as standards after comparing the results between consecutive years in the grape and its subsequent transformation into wine. Analyses as the described one, are carried out with leaves which provide the grape with the maximum exigencies in potassium in that moment, so it is natural that they show lacks in rapport with standardised values considered suitable.

The aim of all the mentioned actions is obtaining the most select and healthy grape that can be possible even though the cost may be increased up to the profitability level. In this vineyard we work keeping away from an exclusive profit pursuit


Analyses.

From the year 2000 foliar analyses of the vineyard are carried out and from 2002, a monitoring of the technologic and fenolic ripening of the grapes in every described sector. This monitoring is carried out by the INTAEX by means of chemical analyses on grape samples taken in three areas in every sector, three or four times every season

At the same time more than 20 degree and ph controls of the vineyard are carried out in every sector used for external analyses by means of a portable refractometer and a PH-meter. This way we always have homogeneous comparative elements and obtain an exhaustive control of the grape's evolution.

During the 06/07 season, together with four vine growers and wineries from Extremadura, an agreement was signed with the INTAEX in order to carry out a study on the ‘Evolution on the ripening of 5 red crops in the Badajoz province as essential criterion in quality wines elaboration'.