Telmo Rodríguez

Telmo has been the most prominent voice for having Rioja’s greatest terroirs recognized and for returning to small-scale, traditional winemaking to most clearly express their characters. But his voice has been heard far beyond his home region. He was the prime mover behind the Terroir Manifesto, the landmark 2015 document that called on all of Spain’s appellation regulatory bodies to finally “approach a classification of the land in terms of quality.”

Telmo is not just an outspoken champion for quality. As a winemaker, he is leading the small brigade of terroir-focused Rioja growers whose influences is being felt throughout the region. And he has led not only by word, but by example. His Bodega Lanzaga represents a unique array of superior terroirs, many with old vines restored by him and his team. And the wines he’s making from them are among the most acclaimed Spanish wines of our time.

In a 2016 interview for Canada’s National Post, Telmo told journalist John Szabo that his goal is to “bring back to life the real traditional taste of Rioja.” But the traditional taste he was referring is not what we think of as traditional Rioja. It’s what existed even earlier, when a multitude of small cosecheros, working from tiny local cellars, created individual expressions the region’s vast diversity of terroirs.