Azpilicueta

Félix Azpilicueta Martínez founded the winery in 1881 in the town of Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta. After marrying Gregoria Gonzalo Torrealba, he established his wine production business and founded Bodegas El Romeral, focusing on exporting Spanish wine to France. In the early 1960s, the winery merged with the businesses of Cruz García and Melquíades Entrena to form the AGE conglomerate, an acronym representing the three families. Ownership changed several times over the following decades, moving from bank-led investments to Allied Domecq before being acquired by Pernod Ricard. In 2025, the brand was part of a large-scale divestment by Pernod Ricard and was sold to Australian Wine Holdco Limited.

The estate sources fruit from more than 800 hectares of vineyards located near Fuenmayor, with vines averaging 25 years of age. This area features a diverse topography with varying altitudes and orientations, creating multiple microclimates within the Rioja Alta sub-region. Soils in these plots include clay-limestone and alluvial types, with specific character attributed to estates such as San Cristobal, La Tahola, and Los Cabezos. Elena Adell directs the winemaking team, overseeing a process that emphasizes traditional varieties like Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo. While the vineyards are centered in Fuenmayor, the winemaking operations are centralized at the Campo Viejo facility in Logroño, where red wines typically undergo a 12 day maceration and fermentation in stainless steel before aging in American and French oak.

The brand portfolio is defined by its core range of Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva wines. These bottlings represent the traditional aging categories of the region and are characterized by a balance of ripe red fruit and oak-derived flavors like vanilla, coconut, and spice. In addition to these classics, the winery produces the Félix Azpilicueta collection and the Colección Privada line, which include premium red, white, and rosé expressions. The white wines are primarily crafted from the Viura grape and often undergo barrel fermentation to add complexity. The brand holds a significant position in the Spanish market and is frequently found on restaurant lists due to its reputation for consistency and technical precision in winemaking.