Ramón Bilbao is celebrating its centenary with its sights set on the future, determined to continue to blaze a trail on an international level. The Rioja winery, also established in Rueda, is a forerunner in making wines with a distinctive and contemporary style drawn from the grape, as well as in producing high-altitude wines, rosé wines for ageing, and those made using ancestral varieties. In addition, it has restored the value of the most unique terroirs in Eastern Rioja and enhanced that of extraordinary plots thanks to Lalomba’s exclusive singular vineyards project.

Constantly seeking out new challenges, Ramón Bilbao has developed a firm commitment to the world of wine and to its mission to spread the uniqueness of Spanish wine throughout the world, via initiatives such as Spanish Wine Academy and the Spanish Wine Master competition.  Throughout these 100 years of curiosity and excellence, Ramón Bilbao has worked respectfully and carefully with the land and the ecosystem, adapting to climate change, for example, by using precision viticulture. To celebrate this historic milestone, Ramón Bilbao will hold a series of events throughout the year for consumers as well as the more specialised public to enjoy. Among other activities, these will include professional gatherings, master classes, tastings, new wine tourism experiences at its wineries, and an important event in Haro to take place in October.

Ramón Bilbao, established as one of the most outstanding enological projects in Spain and one of the most admired wineries in the world, is celebrating its centenary. It has carved out a path that is pioneering, and marked by a spirit that is bold, enthusiastic, innovative and curious.

LEADERSHIP DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY

Founded in Haro (La Rioja) in 1924 and also present in Rueda, Ramón Bilbao has been an avant-garde winery since its beginnings, guided by the open-mindedness and curious spirit of its founder. It stands out for making wines that inspire a passion for discovery and enjoyment, exploring the uniqueness of the landscape in a greater depth: “For us, it is key to focus on making wines with greater purity and a sense of place, seeking the maximum expression of the grape as a fundamental part of our DNA. We have always looked at wine with curiosity and non-conformity, trying to go further, and innovating from a place of knowledge and respect", says Rodolfo Bastida, managing director and winemaker at Ramón Bilbao winery.

With this philosophy, Ramón Bilbao has positioned itself as the favourite for Rioja and that most trusted by Spanish consumers, evidenced by its continuous growth in recent years. It has promoted a new style of wine by reinterpreting Riojan tradition, introducing fresher and fruitier wine. Moreover, it has implemented innovative winemaking processes to promote sustainable viticulture and revitalised areas like Eastern Rioja. Among its other notable achievements are the recovery of indigenous grape varieties and the creation of vibrant Verdejos in Rueda. In addition, it has succeeded in highlighting the value of the terroir through the Lalomba project, the exclusive range of singular vineyards on unique plots of land.

A WINERY THAT PROMOTES THE VAST UNIQUENESS OF SPANISH WINE

By constantly seeking out new challenges, Ramón Bilbao has developed a firm commitment to promoting knowledge and education in the field of wine, focusing on initiatives such as the Spanish Wine Academy and the Spanish Wine Master competition. “For us, it is key to be able to expand wine culture beyond our borders and consolidate Spanish wine as a benchmark for wine lovers and professionals in the global wine sector", says Rodolfo Bastida.

A FUTURE FOCUSED ON INTERNATIONALISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

Founded 100 years ago, this Riojan bodega has today become a global brand, exporting 25% of its production and boasting a presence in more than 60 countries. It aims to continue discovering, innovating and growing in markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Latin America.

Furthermore, using viticultural methods that are respectful of the ecosystem and the environment, it seeks to preserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

In its solid commitment to the land, Ramón Bilbao has always worked with a viticultural approach that is respectful of the ecosystem and the environment (currently owning 250 hectares of vineyards), with the ongoing aim of protecting biodiversity and adapting to climate change. Similarly, it has strengthened its commitment to sustainability as a member of Wineries for Climate Protection and International Wineries for Climate Action, with a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This is a key challenge on which the winery is already working, and one which will signify yet another important step forward adding to its list of achievements so far, which include reducing the weight of its bottles by more than 35g, the use of renewable energies, and reducing water consumption by more than 15% in the last two years.

The winery's curious spirit promises a future in which it will continue to focus on fresh wines that achieve the maximum expression of the grape and truest manifestation of its origins, placing emphasis on the exploration of unknown regions and the development of new production methods. This will take Ramón Bilbao’s respect for the vines, for nature and for the landscape even further, and make it possible to imagine new horizons for wine that will ultimately further the experience of enjoyment and flavour.

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF MILESTONES

The winery will celebrate its centenary throughout the year with gatherings, masterclasses, the launch of commemorative wines, new wine tourism experiences, and global tastings via the Spanish Wine Academy platform. In addition, it will hold the grand finale of Spanish Wine Master, as well as a major event at the Haro winery in October, among other exciting activities.

ABOUT RAMÓN BILBAO

Since its foundation in Haro (La Rioja) in 1924, and currently established in the Rioja and Rueda wine regions, Ramón Bilbao has journeyed through a century of landscapes and vineyards, bringing new ideas and key milestones to the history of Spanish wine. Driven by its insatiable curiosity and thirst for excellence, its envisioned future is that of a bold, non-conformist project which continues to explore, innovate and break new ground 100 years since its birth.

Recognised as one of the most relevant wineries in Spain and one of the most admired in the world, Ramón Bilbao has succeeded in upgrading tradition, placing emphasis on the value of origin and territory with a view to creating wines of greater purity, always from a place of sustainability and respect for the land. Bringing to the fore a new, more contemporary, fresh and fruity style of wine in Rioja, Ramón Bilbao is pioneer in the conceptual revisioning of local regional wines, using high-altitude winegrowing and exploring the geographical extremes of Rioja through vineyards of a refreshing typicity. Over the past century, the winery has also recovered the value of indigenous grape varieties and enhanced the uniqueness of the terroir through its exclusive Lalomba project.

Promoting Spanish wine all over the world via initiatives such as the educational platform Spanish Wine Academy and the Spanish Wine Master competition, Ramón Bilbao looks to the future with a spirit that is open, innovative and, most of all, curious, with the aim of continuously surpassing itself on what is a very unique search for excellence and discovery through wine.