Fernando Costa

Coming Up

At the University of Santiago de Compostela, Fernando Costa built the technical grounding that now underpins his work in Rioja. In oenology, training is not ornamental; it is the basis for making decisions when timing, detail and palate all carry weight. Since 2021, that discipline has been applied at Marqués de Cáceres, where his role sits close to the point where a vintage is assessed, adjusted and brought into focus.

Where They Are Now

Since 2021, Head of Oenology in Rioja at Marqués de Cáceres has been the position through which Fernando Costa channels the season’s work into the finished wine. Harvest is the fixed pressure point in that process: the moment when a year’s labour is condensed into a short window and every detail matters. Costa describes it plainly: “The harvest crystallises a whole year of hard work, but it’s also a cause for concern, for we have to pay great attention to detail and react swiftly to any important issues.” That view keeps the work anchored in the basics. Winegrowing turns on the grape, and the cellar only has value once the fruit has been judged well. Costa puts it in direct terms: “Without the grape there is no wine. We cannot forget that everything starts with the grape.” In that frame, his job at Marqués de Cáceres is to read what the vineyard gives, respond quickly, and carry the vintage through without losing sight of the raw material.

In Their Words “The harvest crystallises a whole year of hard work, but it’s also a cause for concern, for we have to pay great attention to detail and react swiftly to any important issues.” “Without the grape there is no wine. We cannot forget that everything starts with the grape.”

Recognition

Fernando Costa has received Rioja Masters 2023, Master medal for Gaudium 2016 (2023).