For over 130 years over five generations, the Bujanda family has grown grapes in the Rioja region in northeastern Spain. Today, siblings Ana and Jesús Martínez Bujanda continue the tradition at Bodegas Valdemar while pursuing pioneering efforts both in Rioja and in Washington state in the U.S.
“I grew up with wine and used to play hide and seek at the winery. Later, I also enjoyed driving the tractor during harvest,” Jesús Martínez Bujanda recalled during a recent interview. “But initially I studied international business with internships in Milano and Seattle, before working for Price Waterhouse Coopers where numbers were my world.”
He had an opportunity to move to the U.S. to work early in his career, but, when his father asked for help back at the winery, he did not hesitate.
“It allowed me to learn a lot things about the winery from my father, and it was the type of experience that I could only have by working with him.”
During this time, the Bujanda family considered expanding by investing in other wine regions of Spain. But since Jesús still had a desire to live in the U.S., he, along with his father and sister, explored creating a winery in Washington.
The idea was to express the unique character of wines from the eastern part of the state while relying on the blend of traditional and innovative approaches used at Bodegas Valdemar. The result was the creation of Valdemar Estates in Walla Walla, the first internationally owned winery in Washington.
Today, Bujanda splits time between Washington and Spain while serving as CEO of the family’s winemaking business. His sister, Ana, serves as chief operations officer for Bodegas Valdemar in Spain.
In Rioja, the family owns over 750 acres of vines spread across the three subregions of Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. Other than buying some grapes from extended family members and two employees, Bodegas Valdemar grows all its own fruit. Unlike most other Rioja producers who buy grapes from an extensive array of independent growers, this allows Valdemar maximum control in managing its vineyards and selecting the grapes used in its wines.
Sustainable Biodiversity
“Our idea is to cultivate the vineyards with sustainable biodiversity,” Jesús notes. “This is a strong personal belief which we are not pursuing simply to obtain third-party certifications.”
The approach includes using organic materials as fertilizers, introducing pheromones to control insects, planting cover crops between the vine rows to protect native flora and minimize erosion and planting a diversity of grapes.
It also extends to preserving and extending native forests to include bird nesting boxes, reptile shelters, animal drinking troughs, beehives and insect hotels.
The sustainability ethos applies to Valdemar’s winery, as well, according to Jesús, who calls the policy “Sustainability 360.” The winery works to reduce its carbon footprint, implement renewable energies and efficiencies and practices smart water management. It also reduces waste generated by the winery.
To produce the wines, Valdemar relies on veteran winemaker Antonio Orte Vellé. Although not a Rioja native, through the years he has developed a keen appreciation for the diverse character of the region’s terroir.
“There is diversity within each subregion and even within each village and vineyard. From place to place, the soils, expositions of the vineyards to the sun, and even the climates are varied,” Vellé says.
“Low lying vineyards on rolling hills in Rioja Baja have a warmer Mediterranean climate, whereas vineyards in northwestern Rioja on or near the mountains have more Continental climates with sunny days followed by chilly temperatures in the night. Growing the same grapes in each place gives assorted flavors,” Vellé adds.
The key to success, Jesús notes, is to observe, learn and understand every year how the grapes mature in different locations and conditions. Every vineyard has a personality filtered through vintage variables such as frost, extreme heat, drought, and rain.
With this understanding, the Valdemar team works to assemble the fruit each year appropriate for red wines at each of Rioja’s distinctive categories of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.
Rioja Crianza (pronounced CREE-ahn-zah) red wines must be aged in barrels for at least one year before release. Rioja Reserva wines must age in barrel for one year and then two years in bottle before release. Gran Reserva wines must age in barrel for two years and then in bottle for three years before release.
At Valdemar, they age their Crianza wine for 16 months in oak barrels — in this case 100% American oak — and then hold the wine in bottle at the winery for additional time to allow it to mellow. The wine essentially is produced like a Reserva, but the Valdemar Rioja Crianza always is conveniently ready for drinking upon release without additional aging at home.
The 2019 Conde Valdemar, Rioja Crianza ($10.99, Chairman’s Selection PLCB No. 29795) comes from a blend of 90% Tempranillo (which is Rioja’s principal red-skinned grape) plus Garnacha (known as Grenache in France) and Graciano. Its lovely deep garnet color unfolds aromas of ripe black fruits, tobacco and toasty oak.
On the palate, it has delicious, juicy black cherry flavors with notes of brown spices and a smoky oak layer with scintillating fresh acidity and soft, silky tannins. It is a beautifully balanced wine perfect for easy drinking and sharing with a wide variety of foods.
Speaking of foods, Valdemar’s winery lies close to the Rioja’s capital city of Logroño, which is home of the famous Tapas Crawl along Calle Laurel (Laurel Street).
Each of dozens of cozy small taverns specialize in bite-size tapa served with a glass of wine, often Rioja Crianza. Often the tapas come conveniently served on a small toothpick referred to in the Basque language as “pintxos.”
A few highlights include Bar Soriano, which offers wild mushrooms cooked in butter and garlic and served on a small piece of bread and topped with a grilled shrimp. Pata Negra serves tasty, small sandwiches of Serrano ham, tomato and anchovy. La Tasca del Pato offers txangurritos – spider crab fishcakes baked inside a scallop shell. In season, they also served a Rioja culinary favorite, grilled white asparagus wrapped in local Camerano cheese. Meanwhile, Bar Lorenzo offers chargrilled meat skewers such as pinchos morunos with pork pieces marinated in olive oil, garlic, oregano, and paprika.
Ana Fabiano’s excellent “The Wine Region of Rioja” (Sterling Epicure, $35) offers additional traditional recipes as well gorgeous photos capturing Rioja’s landscapes, vineyards and bodegas. Try making tasty tapas tidbits at home paired with the 2019 Conde Valdemar, Rioja Crianza.
“Our trademark is always to produce wines with body, structure, and most importantly good acidity and freshness,” says Jesús. “We don’t make wines just for tasting, but always wines for enjoyment with food.”
Cheers!