Love and Respect for Wine Since 1858 A HISTORIC SPANISH WINEMAKING STANDARD-BEARER
A standard-bearer of Spanish winemaking with a proud and distinguished history spanning more than 150 years, Marqués de Riscal, one of the oldest wineries in Rioja, should be content to rest on its laurels, but that is not the case. Since its foundation by Don Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga in 1858 Marqués de Riscal has been at the forefront of quality and innovation in Rioja. Five years after its inaugural bottling in 1862, the winery won the first of many awards, and in 1895 Marqués de Riscal had the honor of being the first non-French wine to win the diploma of honor at the Bordeaux Exhibition. A believer in the potential of Spanish winemaking, Marqués de Riscal was a driving force in the founding of the Rioja appellation in 1925 and the creation of the Rueda appellation in 1980. Marqués de Riscal’s achievements can be seen in its extensive cellar, which has bottles of all vintages since 1862, making it the largest historic cellar in all of Europe. To share this rich history with the public, Marqués de Riscal created the City of Wine, a wine tourism program demonstrated by its emblematic hotel designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
PIONEER IN INNOVATION At Marqués de Riscal, innovation is at the service of tradition. Allowing increasingly sophisticated expressions of Spanish terroir, Marqués de Riscal was the first to bring French winemaking techniques to Spain, working closely with the French cellar master Jean Pineau. The implementation of these methods also inspired experimentation with new varieties. Marqués de Riscal was the first to incorporate French varieties into its wines to create more sophisticated wines. In 1860, Don Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga brought 12 different varieties from France that he planted in his vineyards and the surrounding area.
PIONEERING FIRSTS • First to invest in quality winemaking in Rioja • First to incorporate French varieties in Spanish wines • First to build a winery in Rueda • First to produce Verdejo in Rueda • First to create the enotourism concept of the City of Wine
Always looking for new levels of quality, Marqués de Riscal would later be the first to introduce selection tables in a Spanish winery. Understanding that wine is only as good as the vineyards it comes from, Marqués de Riscal has made sustainability a cornerstone of its agronomy. Their vineyards in Rueda go one step further and are certified organic by Sohiscert.
HOUSE GRAFTING METHOD Riscal has not only owned extensive vineyards for years, but has directly managed the vineyards that they acquire grapes from to ensure the highest quality. This vast knowledge of vineyards developed over decades allowed Riscal to identify the vines that have best adapted to the local territory. Understanding that these vines often outperformed the younger vines, the winery decided to start grafting the most resilient old vines onto younger rootstock in order to retain high quality over time. The early success of this project resulted in the use of this method across all their owned vineyards since 2017.
• 150+ years of experience • Largest historic cellar in Europe • 2,393 acres of estate vineyards • 945 acres of certified organic vineyards • 445 acres of regrafted vines to preserve historic vine stocks CUSTODIANS OF QUALITY
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