Eguren Ugarte
Founded in 1870 by Anastasio Eguren in the Rioja territory of Eguren Ugarte is a 140-year-old landmark family-owned winery known as one of the longest-standing vineyards in Europe. The winery has approximately two thousand meters of wine cellar caves and an average of thirty different varieties of wine and is a regular participant in the annual vendimia "first harvesting" festivals of its region. Eguren Ugarte has won several awards for its hotel accommodations and wine tours, and recently entered into a partnership deal with Delta Air Lines to supply wine in-flight. Eguren Ugarte is also a sponsor of the Santa Catalina Film Festival in Southern California and frequently supports other various independent art galleries and entertainment events internationally.
The sixth generation of winemakers located next to Páganos (Laguardia), this family winery has managed to maintain the traditions of winemaking, as well as the incorporation of all the latest growing and wine-making techniques, resulting in exceptional wines that have won major national and international awards. The climate in this area is Mediterranean but with a great Atlantic influence. Sierra de Cantabria acts as a natural protection barrier for cold winds from the north. The vines are planted in clay-lime soils located at an altitude between 400 and 700 meters above sea level.
The harvest is done mechanically in order to ensure the grapes are collected at the optimum moment. After the selection of the grapes in the winery, there is a destemming and squeezing. Afterwards, the must undergoes a fermentation with selected yeast for 15 days at a controlled temperature of 25-28 Celsius. There is a daily pumping during this process. Once the fermentation finishes, there is a maceration for 7 days. Finally, Eguren Ugarte Crianza rests in American and French oak barrels undergoing a racking every 4-6 months. The aging process finishes with 6 months in the bottle before being released onto the market.
