Bodega Alegre Valgañon

Husband-and-wife winemakers Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañon founded Bodega Alegre Valgañon. At the foot of the Obarenes Mountains, one of the prime spots in Rioja, they have been dedicated to producing wines of freshness and vitality since 2014. Eva’s family have been farming this terroir for generations. 

Oscar and Eva first met in Italy, where the two of them studied viticulture. As their love for each other grew, so did the shared dream of making their own wines. While building up their savings, they learned and gained experience from the very best in the business – before taking the plunge in 2014 near the Obarenes Mountains, where Eva’s family have been farming for the past 150 years. Stretching around 30 kilometres, with an average altitude of 900 metres, the mountain range overlooks one of the best winegrowing areas of Rioja Alta. The winegrowing tradition is deeply rooted here and is as much an inspiration for Eva and Oscar as the local terroir. The couple like to explore the different characteristics of their vineyards and experiment in the cellar to create wines imbued with wonderful freshness.

Limestone terroir and the Atlantic influence 

The vines at the foot of the Obarenes Mountains grow on limestone weathered to varying degrees. Wind and rain from the Atlantic Ocean are also a major factor influencing the character of this landscape as well as the fresh style of the wines. These interesting conditions are what appeal to Oscar and Eva. Keen to exploit the parameters at their disposal, they have been experimenting with their different terroirs, with whole bunches and skin contact, and with a variety of different fermentation vessels. They have been certainly doing a lot of things right in the process and have already received international acclaim. 

Regenerative viticulture – more than just organic 

Eva and Oscar have started practising regenerative viticulture. Going a significant step further than organic winegrowing, this will allow their old vineyard holdings to recover more quickly from years of herbicide use and their terroir to rediscover its natural balance within a few years. 

alegrevalganon.com