Alvaro Palacios

Alvaro Palacios is so much part of the modern international establishment of wine that it may seem odd to include him here. After all, he has been a leader in building the reputation of Priorat and Bierzo and, through them, of Spain as a pre-eminent wine nation. Yet the reason is clear: wherever he goes he defends the best interests of the vineyard, and the wine, even in cases where established practice or local regulation may suggest otherwise. Thus it was when he returned to the family winery in Rioja Baja/Oriental. His father’s focus was mainly on Tempranillo, as was usual at the time. In his short time in charge, the profile of the wines has changed and Garnacha is being restored to its rightful place at the top of the hierarchy. In the process, he has cheerfully put the village name (Alfaro) on the front label of his wines, even before the DOCa Rioja permitted it.