A fusion of tradition and modernity at the Riojan bodega Regalía de Ollauri

03/09/2010

• anterior
• siguiente

The inspiration behind bodega Regalía de Ollauri can be found buried deep in the Alta Rioja landscape with its thriving vineyards, in its history, backed by the experience and tradition of brothers Manuel and José Azpilicueta, great-grandsons of the founder of Bodegas AGE in the 19th century, and in its architectonic expression, semi-buried in the hills of the estate where it is located, with its innovative and pioneering cooling system which takes advantage of the heat from the Earth’s crust at 100 metres below ground-level. Regalía de Ollauri, after only four years on the market, is managing to set itself up on the domestic and international scene thanks to its commitment to quality, its investment in innovation, and the experience and tradition of its founders.

Regalía de Ollauri is located in the Riojan town of the same name, surrounded, to the southwest, by the San Lorenzo peak, the Sierra de Cantabria to the north and west, and to the northwest, the municipalities of Ollauri and Haro respectively, with their characteristic vineyard-strewn landscapes. It was here that, in 2004, Regalía de Ollauri commenced its activity, driven by the enthusiasm of a young team made up of eleven individuals, backed by the experience of its chairman, Manuel Azpilicueta and with the support of a group of Riojan and non-Riojan investors. For Manuel García, the bodega’s current manager, this combination has given this venture “the time it needed to create a solid and structured domestic and international sales network, which boasts a uniqueness which puts us in the vanguard, allowing us to capture a greater market share”.

Uniqueness, the bodega’s philosophy, begins with the exquisite husbandry carried out in its vineyards, using innovative vinification techniques, as well as geothermal energy to power its production processes, making it the first bodega in the world to make use of this eco-friendly system.

As regards it vineyards, Regalía de Ollauri boasts 80 hectares of the native varieties Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Garnacha, which are nurtured in a way which benefits the utmost quality thanks to their low-yield ratio, achieved by pruning the vines months before harvesting begins in order to reduce the density of the plants. In keeping with this painstaking husbandry, harvesting is carried out by hand and the grapes deposited in 17-kg crates to avoid being crushed. In addition, the grapes are taken to the bodega on a daily basis at intervals of no more than three hours to avoid the risk of premature fermentation.