Wildfire leaves sense of "total destruction", Spanish winemaker says

Jesus Soto checks his vineyard after it was partially scorched by a wildfire near Cebreros in the province of Avila, Spain July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez

CEBREROS, Spain (Reuters) - When Spanish winemarker Jesus Soto returned to his land for the first time since a wildfire swept through the area, the sight of his charred grapevines left him in tears and feeling as though he had "lost part of my soul", he said on Thursday.

With one of his vineyards - co-owned by former Spanish and former Manchester City midfielder David Silva - gutted by flames, the owner of the SotoManrique wine label estimates he will only manage half of his habitual production of 3,000 bottles of "Alto de la Estrella" this year.