Bodegas Valdemar

“Always pioneering” is Bodegas Valdemar’s motto. Five generations of the Valdemar family in Rioja, Spain, have remained committed to producing wines reflecting the diversity of their vineyards. For over 135 years, the family has incorporated innovative initiatives like creating the first barrel-fermented white wine in Spain and the first Tempranillo white. They have also been instrumental in recovering varietals presumed to be extinct, such as the Maturana grape and the Granciano variety.

In 2019, they established the first non-American winery in Washington State, led by siblings Jesús and Ana Martínez Bujanda, CEO and COO of Valdemar Estates. Under the “inherited know-how” they received from previous generations, especially their father, Jesús Martínez Bujanda, these innovative winemakers have turned their Walla Walla land into sustainable wine agroecosystems, using organic matter to improve fertility, cover crops, pheromones to control pests, varietal diversity, biological corridors, and native forests…resulting in the coveted International “Wineries for Climate Protection” certification. This designation’s four pillars align with the Bodegas Valdemar commitment to reducing the carbon footprint, using renewable energies, and managing water while reducing waste.

Wine Spectator designated the Conde Valdemar Crianza, the flagship brand distributed to more than 65 countries, as the best among 61 Spanish wines in 2014. The Walla Walla, Washington, location was chosen for its exceptional soil and vineyard quality as well as its presence as a leading wine tour destination in the state.