The "Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez", based in Logroño in the Spanish region of Rioja, was founded in 1994. Born in the Basque Country, Telmo Rodríguez spent his childhood at his father's Rioja vineyard Remelluri, studied biology in Bilbao, obtained his oenology diploma in Bordeaux and learned the high school of winemaking in practice from the legendary Bruno Prats at the Château Cos d'Estournel. Then he had the vision to make the best possible wines in different regions of Spain at the same time. In 1994, together with his fellow student Pablo Eguzkiza, he launched what may be the most ambitious project in recent Spanish winemaking history.
Telmo Rodríguez is often referred to as a "driving winemaker" because he is constantly on the road, working with his team of a dozen oenologists trained in Bordeaux to produce his wines in various regions of Spain in collaboration with local producers. In doing so, they try to emphasize the typical regional vines and characteristics of each wine. Telmo Rodriguez was one of the first winegrowers in Spain to take a close look at the terroir.
The grapes come from the best plots of land of mostly very old vines and are carefully developed in modern cellars to so-called "Vinos con alma" (wines with soul). In 2002 the magazine "Revue du Vin de France" euphorically elected him "Bordeaux en Espagne" and with spectacular ratings he became the new wine superstar. Until now, wines have been produced in the DO areas of Alicante, Cigales, Malaga, Navarre, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Rueda and Toro.
