The Winemaker

RAFAEL VIVANCO SÁENZ

I was born in Logroño in 1975 when my father was shaping what today is Vivanco. Wine was, well, very important for my family and for me as well, although, I must admit, when one is a boy one thinks of other things. I remember my grandfather Santiago telling me stories of those first steps.

I remember that every weekend we went from Logroño up to Briones to see how my father's and my family's dream gradually took shape. We went to work in the vineyards and even to rack the occasional barrel. At age 18, I went to Pamplona to study agricultural engineering. When you feel wine, you need to know it all and, in Pamplona, I learned the technique, the science, the reason for each thing. I trained there, but where I really fell in love with wine was in Bordeaux. Two years studying at the Faculty of Oenology and two more making wine in some of the most renowned wineries in the area led me to reflect deeply about what La Rioja and its terroirs are capable of giving. Why not show the world our viticultural heritage? Our native grape varieties, our micro-climates. Authentic wines from the vineyard. Made with respect and, above all, unique, ours. In 2001, I returned to Briones with that idea and I got to work. Today and always, it will be my personal challenge.