When Don Ramón Bilbao established his eponymous Rioja winery in 1924, he had one aim in mind: to share the wines of his homeland with the world. This philosophy of exploration, adventure and curiosity has driven Ramón Bilbao ever since, and has been celebrated throughout 2024.
For a hundred years now, Bodegas Ramón Bilbao—based in Haro, Rioja—has been pushing boundaries and breaking barriers when it comes to viticulture and winemaking. 2024 also marks a quarter of a century with Rodolfo Bastida at the winemaking helm: 25 years which have seen a constant search for purity of fruit, high altitudes, and maximum expression of vineyard character.
Today, the Ramón Bilbao wines are sold in more than 60 countries worldwide—from the traditional trio of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva and the Mirto “superblend” Rioja, to the pale, light pink rosé wines for ageing, white wines from Rueda, the Limites Norte & Sur boundary-pushing duo, and the ultra-premium, boutique Lalomba single-vineyard project.
All year, Ramón Bilbao has been celebrating “100 years inspired by curiosity,” culminating with a global gathering at the winery in late October that included a roundtable, open discussion with fellow centenary wineries about the future of wine. Joining Rodolfo on stage were Adriana Catena from Argentina’s Catena Zapata, Dirk Niepoort from the Douro’s Niepoort wines, and Arnaud R Lodeizen from Bordeaux’s Château Palmer. Before the gala dinner in collaboration with two-Michelin-starred restaurant Venta Moncalvillo, guests were invited to watch the global final of the inaugural Spanish Wine Master competition from the Ramón Bilbao Spanish Wine Academy—an initiative to celebrate and promote Spanish wine around the world, which was won by Spanish sommelier and consultant Alberto Ruffini.
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“For us, it has always been key to focus on making wines with great purity and sense of place and to share this with the world,” says Rodolfo. “A fundamental part of our DNA is seeking to maximise the expression of our vineyards and we have always looked at wine from a place of curiosity and non-conformity, always striving to go a step further than anyone else. It is important that we are able to expand wine culture beyond our borders, and ensure that the world of Spanish wine becomes a reference of excellence for professionals and the public everywhere.”
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