Paco Hurtado de Amézaga

The Climb

In that role, Paco Hurtado de Amézaga carries responsibility for vineyards, cellar decisions, and the steady discipline needed to keep style coherent over time. The path began in Rueda, and the habits formed there still sit behind the authority with which he leads now. From youthful trial to seasoned stewardship, his work has remained tied to the evolution of identity at Marqués de Riscal.

Today

It links Rioja Alavesa to the white-wine work that began in Rueda, joining two landscapes in a single professional arc: the long-view seriousness of the estate in Elciego and the exploratory force of those early years in 1971. The position reads as continuity as much as control, with memory and method held together in the same house.

Signature

Tapias and Finca Montico are among Paco Hurtado de Amézaga’s signature wines. The names sit within his portfolio without noise, carrying the mark of a winemaker who lets structure and balance do the talking. They reflect the kind of work that comes from long experience at the bench and in the vineyard: attentive, composed, and built with restraint.

In Their Words “I still find it hard to believe that today more white wine is being drunk than red.” “They have a superb wine that they later spoil.”

Recognition

Verdejo anchors Paco Hurtado de Amézaga’s recognition: a first varietal wine that helped shape the fresh style associated with Rueda at Marqués de Riscal. It marked a practical shift in how the region could speak—cleaner, more modern, and still clearly its own. On the wider change in drinking habits, he has said, "I still find it hard to believe that today more white wine is being drunk than red." The line carries the perspective of someone who has watched tastes move over decades, while a once-niche white grape moved into the center of the table.