WHO ARE WE Vintae is an innovative, young and dynamic enterprise, which has wineries in 8 different Designations of Origin in Spain. The initiative originates in the passion of José Miguel Arambarri Terrero for wine, an entrepreneur from La Rioja who is a connoisseur and lover of the wine world. His vision gave birth to Castillo de Maetierra and Maetierra Dominum, two wineries which spawned Vintae. With the inclusion of his two sons, Ricardo and José Miguel, Vintae came into shape as a project and is causing a real revolution in the different aspects of the wine-growing industry, by representing the avant-garde and market approach through many of its products or the creation of Valles de Sadacia, the greatest progress in white wines in the entire history of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja. Vintae is born to create innovative wines adapted to new customer tastes. For this purpose, it has a group of over 50 professionals who share their passion for the wine world with a creative and dynamic spirit, applying this spirit to each of their specialized areas. OUR TRAJECTORY Vintae originates in 1999, when, by initiative of José Miguel Arambarri Terrero, an entrepreneur from La Rioja who is a connoisseur and lover of the wine world, the first Castillo de Maetierra vines were planted, the only winery specialized in white wines in the Community of La Rioja. These vines were the beginning of Valles de Sadacia, the new Protected Geographical Indication for white wines in the Community of La Rioja. The inclusion of his two sons, Ricardo and José Miguel, who now lead the project, as well as other important pillars in the technical and sales areas, gave the finishing touches to a team of great value with an open and innovative mentality, and a will to face the most ambitious of challenges. With this great team and taken to success by the wineries located in La Rioja, they began to explore creative possibilities of other Spanish wine- making areas with the objective of creating a portfolio including the best of each wine area in Spain. They committed to Ribera del Duero, one of the most powerful Designations of Origin in the international wine panorama, where they created De Bardos; they looked for creative freedom in Ribera del Queiles, an area adjacent to La Rioja with great innovative possibilities. In Navarra, they found the plot Monastir, where they have created an exclusive collection of estate wines. In 2009, Matsu appears, in the Toro Designation of Origin, a project which pays homage to wine growers who have dedicated their life to the vine and combines the oriental culture of caring for what’s natural together with the most advanced techniques in biodynamic agriculture regarding European rural areas. In 2010, Vintae created Spanish White Guerrilla, a unique collection of monovarietal wines including seven of the most recognized white varieties in the world. The grapes were grown in La Rioja, a land originally devoted to reds. In the 2011, they created the ‘Proyecto Garnachas de España’. This collection is made of five wines made of 100% Garnacha grown in different areas of Spain, all of them among the Ebro Valley. Currently, following a twelve year adventure, Vintae has achieved the creation of a product portfolio covering, practically, the entire Spanish wine panorama, which continues to increase daily. Its commercial presence continues to grow, both nationally and internationally, and is present, to this date, in more than 20 countries, adding new markets every year. PASSION FOR WINE For us, wine is a way of enjoying life as well as our professional activity. We also want all our customers to enjoy it and share it. And it is for this reason that we work with the aim of offering products which transmit concepts, ideas and sensations through all the senses, from the design of the bottle to the tasting. Where is the passion for wine reflected? -We look for quality and singularity in the entire Spanish wine panorama. Since our inception we have searched for quality and singularity in the main wine- making areas of the Spanish wine panorama. This has led us to be pioneers in the Ribera del Queiles and to create Valles de Sadacia, without forgetting areas with more tradition such as Ribera del Duero or Rioja. -The best varieties for each area Vintae's oenological team is committed to taking advantage of th singularities of each region, pushing the most distinguished local varieties to its maximum, or even for such matters foreign varieties which have proven a better adaptation. They search for the most interesting varieties for each area, and for this purpose, they do not hesitate when it comes to innovation, such as happens with Castillo de Maetierra, featuring an extensive catalogue of white varieties, or Winery Arts, by introducing a great number of foreign red varieties. -Wines transmitting passion. Vintae wines manage to make contact with the current consumer. From the first to the last, the entire Vintae team works so that each detail involving its wines is able to transmit the soul of the wine-growing project in hand. Its area, philosophy, values... all of this to achieve a full experience which completely satisfies the consumer's expectations. Adapted to current consumer tastes, who demand less aggressive, easy-drinking wines, but without renouncing to maximum quality, power and nuance richness, and respecting the singularity of each area. Raúl Acha, one of the emerging talents in La Rioja Raúl Acha is the technical director of Vintae. In 2004, he started working with Vintae and since then has been able to create some of the most surprising wines in the entire Spanish wine panorama. In each project, together with his group of oenologists, he applies the most appropriate techniques and above all considers the geographic and climatological characteristics of each area when making a collection of wines. Born in Cárdenas (La Rioja), he is an agricultural engineer with a Bachelor in Oenology and Advanced Oenology Studies, Raúl Acha is one of the emerging oenological talents in La Rioja. Since childhood he lived, in his hometown, within the world of viticulture where he was able to understand the great importance a meticulous care of raw material has when making a quality wine. Raúl defends viticulture and an appropriate selection of vineyards as key elements for producing a great wine. Nowadays, together with his group of oenologists, he is able to give expression to his full potential in singular and high quality projects. In each project, he applies the most appropriate techniques and above all considers each area’s geographic and climatological characteristics when making a collection of wines. Raúl Acha belongs to the Viticulture and Oenology Group ‘Vitur’ of the University of La Rioja, has been a teacher of the Viticulture and Oenology Master carried out in Laguardia and collaborates in wine-growing magazines. A PORTFOLIO WHICH INCLUDES THE MAIN SPANISH WINE-MAKING AREAS Vintae has created a series of projects resulting in a collection of wines made in main Spanish wine-making areas. Each project has been built around an exclusive philosophy which has been the basis for choosing from the terroir in which the wine is made, to the image presented to the consumer. HIGH SPECIALIZATION IN WHITES Castillo de Maetierra is the only winery in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja specialized in making white wines. In 2003, it led the creation of the Protected Geographical Indication Valles de Sadacia, an indication which is meant for whites what the DOC Rioja is for reds. Many of the winery's initiatives have been revolutionary, from starting a project in La Rioja based exclusively on whites, to conceiving a range of dry whites by combining Muscat à Petits Grains with local varieties such as Viura and Malvasía, and introducing a selection of the best white foreign varieties, with the aim of recovering viticulture in La Rioja’s most historical locations. “Each one of the steps taken by the winery, in a surrounding which is shy to changes, has been preceded by scepticism and followed by amazement” Castillo de Maetierra has recovered Muscat à Petits Grains, a local variety which stopped being grown due to phylioxera, and has proven its full potential through the Libalis range of wines, which due to its smoothness and freshness is able to satisfy those who are introducing themselves in the world of wine as well as surprising more advanced consumers because of its complexity and nuance richness. Alvariño grown in La Rioja Currently, Castillo de Maetierra is working with eight different varieties of white grapes. In addition to the Muscat à Petits Grains, it has created a monovarietal collection including varieties which have never been used in La Rioja before such as Albariño or Verdejo and internationally renowned varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Viognier. The oenological team of Castillo de Maetierra has achieved a perfect acclimation of these varieties in Maetierra's plot, located in the small town of Calahorra, and the results are wines which are causing a real revolution in the market of Spanish whites. “The Libalis range of wines, due to its smoothness and freshness, is able to satisfy those who are introducing themselves in the world of wine as well as surprising more advanced consumers because of its complexity and nuance richness”. Castillo de Maetierra and the Maetierra plot In Riojan land of Ribera del Ebro, a few steps away from the bimillenial town of Calahorra, and in the same path as the Way of St. James passing through Aragon, rises Castillo de Maetierra.