José María del Río
Professional Beginning Year
1992
Description of their own wines
"Barón de Ley Reserva is a Rioja with a modern style and a Mediterranean soul; notable for its power while maintaining the elegance and harmony characteristic of our region. The Gran Reserva represents that category of Riojas where long aging processes are carried out, aiming for wines with great longevity and complexity, which also require a careful selection of the ideal grapes. Finca Monasterio, on the other hand, is a wine crafted in the vineyard, where the creator performs an act of humility, giving all the prominence to the very essence of the wine: the grape."
Professional career
He signs his first professional contract during the 1993 harvest with Bodegas Martínez Bujanda, where he works under the guidance of winemaker Gonzalo Ortiz. In 1995, he joins the same winery. In 1998, he leaves Martínez Bujanda and starts working for Bodegas Barón de Ley as production manager. Two years later, he also takes on the role of technical director of the winery, coinciding with a change in its winemaking concept and the addition of winemaker Gonzalo Rodríguez to the team.
Work
Technical Management and Oenology.
Training
After graduating in Biology from the University of Salamanca, he returned to La Rioja to begin studies in Oenology and Viticulture, enrolling in the IV Master's in Viticulture and Oenology in Logroño (1991-1993).