Winemaker
Ana Martín Onzaín
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Cuzcurrita De Rio Tiron, Spain
i. Biography
In Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, La Rioja, Spain, Castillo de Cuzcurrita is built for close reading rather than display. Small conical stainless-steel vats, cement tanks for blending, and barrels set on a single level give Ana Martín Onzaín a cellar where each lot can be assessed against the fruit before it is moved forward. Since 2000, that setup has supported a method based on plot, selection, and a cautious hand with vinification, producing reds with clear internal hierarchy and a strong sense of order.
The Climb
Training at the University of the Basque Country and the University of Madrid gave Ana Martín Onzaín the technical base before she entered winemaking full time. That education preceded a working life defined by continuity rather than reinvention. In 2000, she became winemaker of Castillo de Cuzcurrita, and she has held that role since, directing the estate with the same focus on precision and parcel-by-parcel interpretation.
Today
Since 2000, Martín Onzaín has led winemaking at the estate with an emphasis on turning individual sites into wines that occupy distinct places in the range. Her cellar language is one of gradation and nuance: the flagship red sits at the center, while other bottlings speak more narrowly to specific plots and vintages. The portfolio is shaped by selection and placement, not volume or excess. Tilo is the estate's new top-range red, first released from the 2013 vintage and made from the El Monte plot. Its position in the range reflects the plot-by-plot approach that governs the cellar. The wine is identified directly with that named site, making the parcel part of the wine's definition. Señorío de Cuzcurrita is the estate's flagship red, anchoring the range in a central role. Cerrado del Castillo is a single-plot wine from within the castle walls, produced only in the best vintages. Together, those wines map the estate's structure: flagship and parcel, regular cadence and rare release, breadth and focus.
Signature
Ana's signature wines include Tilo and Cerrado del Castillo.
Recognition
Taken together, those bottlings show a winemaker whose standing is built through selection, restraint, and a cellar arranged for patient decisions. The materials are direct enough to name: stainless steel, cement, barrels, selected grapes, and parcels handled one by one.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ana
Where did Ana Martín Onzaín train or study?
Ana Martín Onzaín trained at University of the Basque Country and University of Madrid.
What is Ana Martín Onzaín known for?
careful, plot-by-plot winemaking with small conical stainless-steel vats, cement tanks for blending, and barrels arranged on a single level.
