A Dream for Spain:
Telmo Rodríguez
An interview by Tina Jones
Telmo, who is often referred to fondly by only his first name, is a young legend of Spanish winemaking. His contributions to the wine industry are mature and sophisticated, yet his approach to life, Spain, and his accomplishments are humble and practical. Tina Jones travelled to Spain and sat down with Telmo Rodríguez to discuss his dream for Spain: to bring the traditions and culture of his country to the forefront of Spanish wines, while incorporating a respect for terroir into the passionate future of Spanish winemaking.
Tina Jones: How many regions does Campañía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez cover?
Telmo Rodríguez: We are presently in Rioja, Ribera, Cigales, Rueda, Toro, Valdeorras, Cebreros, Malaga, Alicante— nine in total. In Rioja, Ribera, and Toro I produce three wines; in Malaga, Cebreros, and Rueda I produce two wines; in Alicante, one wine; and in Valdeorras, one wine, but I make both a red and a white.
TJ: Why is your production area so vast, so spread out across Spain?
TR: I didn’ t want to be so spread out. My challenge when I started my project— it was more of a dream— was to go and recuperate the forgotten places. For me, it was very clear that I wanted to produce wines that were very original, very distinctive. At that time, there was a wine boom in Spain, but a lot of investors were planting Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah. My challenge was to go completely in the opposite direction.
Spain is a very exciting country because, here, you find a lot of different“ Spains.” My challenge was not“ Oh, let’ s go everywhere!” Not at all. Every project has been an adventure. It was never my intention to produce so many wines. I wouldn’ t say that I’ m working all over Spain, because it’ s not true— in Spain you can find wines everywhere. There are as many wines as there are villages in Spain. But it’ s true that my vocation was to find, or rediscover, the forgotten places. I’ ve done a very exciting thing. Some of these places were going to die, and thanks to us, they will not. So, I am very proud.
TJ: It’ s very admirable. You are probably Spain’ s most celebrated winemaker on the international market, and we often hear that Spain needs more Telmo Rodríguezes. Do you agree?
TR: Maybe I’ m well known outside of Spain because I have been working a lot. My project is all about producing original wines, and trying to find good clients who are very open and sophisticated. I may be one of the most well-travelled winemakers in Spain because I believe that energy grows through my importers and my clients. It is true that when you decide to produce wines in so many different regions, and you decide to export 80 per
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