Our story

When Félix Azpilicueta Martínez opened his winery in a small vineyard in Fuenmayor in 1881, he became a pioneering figure.

This winery is origins and time. Time which moves slowly to nourish the earth and give strength to the vines. Time which almost stands still to age the wines. Combined time. Time invested in field work, in sophisticated research into wine-growing and in the simple act of waiting. And above all, time freed so that you can enjoy an unforgettable moment: the pleasure of a fine wine in excellent company. Time to experience time itself.

Origins

Félix and Fuenmayor

Félix Azpilicueta Martínez is one of the most important figures in the history of Rioja wine. A dynamic, enterprising man, in 1881 he took charge of a small vineyard in Fuenmayor and created the Bodegas del Romeral wine cellar: one of the earliest cellars in the region. Don Félix, as he was known by his neighbours, soon set up the first decanting station in Spain and was part of the first exportations of wine from Rioja. Little by little, with a huge amount of enthusiasm and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, he transformed the simple vineyard into a well-recognised and prestigious brand.

Fusion

AGE, or the three surnames

Félix Azpilicueta always took pride in his work: “I am delighted to have given my name to a renowned wine, in which I have invested the best of myself and the best of my vineyard,” he once said. And this drive to consistently offer the best of his work led him to create a partnership with another two neighbouring wineries in 1963: "Las Veras", owned by Cruz García, and "Bodegas Entrena", in the nearby location of Navarette, owned by Melquíades Entrena. Together they formed AGE (Azpilicueta, García and Entrena) and this soon became one of the leading wineries in La Rioja: the best in its category for many years.

Our own approach

Today and tomorrow

At the beginning of the 1990s, the winemaking team at Bodegas AGE decided to develop a new range of wines which would mark the future trajectory of the winery while drawing on the style of old crianza and reserva wines from that region; wines that would respect traditional varieties (Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo), blended according to classic criteria but decidedly up-to-date in their expression. With Elena Adella as the leading technician, and with the new winery as the flagship of an avant-garde, sustainable and distinctive approach to making wine, Azpilicueta has become a reference producer of Rioja wines which has a robust future ahead of it and is recognised and enjoyed by consumers around the world.