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We took a morning ride with Carlos in his spacious taxi through
Rioja countryside for Oyon, a tiny village outside Logrono, the main town
of La Rioja. The view was varied as we passed of undulating hills covered
with vines & fortress towns where famous Rioja wineries make their precious
wines - Bodegas Lan, Marques de Riscal, Paternina, Domecq, El Coto, etc.
A host of lesser known Bodega names paraded before our eyes. Finally, we
arrived at the entrance to Bodegas Martinez Bujanda.
Tip: Taxis are an excellent way to travel within Rioja - when you drink,
go public. |
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Diego Martinez (Export Manager), Carlos Jr., Jesus Martinez
Bujanda (owner & senior brother) & Remie Law, with the ultra-modern
winery facilities of Bodegas Martinez Bujanda in the background. Martinez
Bujanda is over 100 years old but under the supervision of the third &
fourth generation, they have earned the reputation for innovation in traditional
Rioja. Besides their main brands of Valdemar & Conde de Valdemar,
they produce a Familia Martinez Bujanda range of innovator wines, a single
vineyard wine (Finca Valpiedra) & now, expanded into Castilla &
La Mancha wine regions to produce quality wines free of the restrictions
of the Rioja DOCa. INFINITUS is the first wine from outside Rioja &
coming on-stream will be single varietal wines - Tempranillo, Cabernet
Sauvignon & Merlot from La Mancha. Martinez Bujanda has the largest
vineyard plots in La Mancha, some 100 hectares.
Tip: Be constantly excited by wines from innovative wineries. |
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Here is the library wines in their individual niches.
Periodically, these are released as special sets to reward loyal customers
of Martinez Bujanda wines. Diego points out that the oldest wine is a
Gran Reserva from 1965.
Tip: A loyal customer is always rewarded with special privileges. |
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The bottle ageing pavilion of Martinez Bujanda. Besides good
wine, Jesus Martinez Bujanda emphasises three important rules - clean, clean
& clean. Their entire facility is scrubbed spotlessly clean at the end
of each working week, ready to begin the new week in spotless condition.
Tip: Check the facilities & you'll know whether the wines will be
fresh & clean or tainted with extraneous flavours. |
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The pride & joy of Martinez Bujanda - Finca Valpiedra
facilities in Rioja Alta. Here we see the barrel-ageing pavilion at the
ultra-modern & impressive winery dedicated to the production of a single
wine - Finca Valpiedra. The first vintage of 1994 was released to excellent
critical review. A reasonable price with good quantity ensures an excellent
price-value ratio for these wines.
Tip: Don't be caught out by marketing tactics that ensure purposely limited
production wines receive prices beyond their worth. |
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This Visitor Center cum Winery facilities are designed to
showcase the Martinez Bujanda family's commitement in Finca Valpiedra. The
luxurious Dining Room located on level two has been designed together with
a corridor, which provide a complete view the vinicultural facilities. On
lower level, there will be a Tasting Room, overlooking the River Ebro &
the Catabrian mountains in the distance.
Tip: Single vineyard wines reflect the terrior of the land - a high risk
venture during poor vintage years. |
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We were treated to lunch at a highly reputable restaurant,
Cachatero Comidas. This restaurant specializes in typical Riojan fare -
roast piementos, mixed vegetable salad, various fish & lamb dishes.
Tip: Local knowledge beats print media in determining quality restaurants. |
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Remember an advertisement on TV about a luggage which was
left on the roadside, just before the "BULL RUN" in Pamplona?
The town is a 3-hour drive from Rioja. From our two pictures, you should
clearly recall the memorable scene from that advertisement.
Tip: Stay away from bulls in great excitement.
 
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San Sebastian, on the Bay of Biscay, is a busy resort town
of the Spanish Basque region. Here is a view of the La Concha beach along
the esplanade. |
