Rioja Excellences by Pedro Ballesteros MW

Join master of wine Pedro Ballesteros during this masterclass on "The Excellences of Rioja". This session was one of the highlights of Rioja Camp, an educational activity for wine professionals held in July 2024 in Rioja.

During this session, Pedro explores how excellence in Rioja wines is shaped by many factors and that there is no single parameter to define excellence. Instead, Rioja's rich diversity in wineries, wine styles, grape varieties, and terroirs showcases multiple vectors of excellence to consider. In this session, Pedro discusses 12 exemplary wines, each representing a distinct aspect of this diversity in excellence. 

The 12 themes and wines discussed during the session are:

Excellence in the winery: R. LOPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA, Viña Tondonia 2012
Excellence in the brand: BODEGAS FAUSTINO, Faustino I 2001
Excellence in the blend: BODEGAS MARTÍNEZ LACUESTA, Campeador 2005
Excellence in style: MARQUES DE MURRIETA, Dalmau 2019
Excellence in time: BODEGAS VINÍCOLA REAL 200, Monges Selección Especial 2010
Excellence in the place: DOMINIO DE QUEIRON, El Arca 2018
Excellence in the vineyard: CASTILLO DE CUZCURRITA, Cerrado del Castillo 2017
Excellence in the town: BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS VALCUERNA, El Origen Clarete Fino 2019
Excellence in sustainability: SIERRA DE TOLOÑO, Nahikun 2023
Excellence in the future: VITICULTORES DE LAPUEBLA, Adventicia 2022
Excellence in old vines: BERTA VALGAÑÓN, Pretium 2019
Excellence in the grape variety: JUAN CARLOS SANCHA, Peña el Gato 2022