Ontañon’s vineyards and wineries are the culmination of a lifetime dream for the Pérez Cuevas family.
The village of Quel is where the family has its beginnings, and for centuries the village has been a benchmark for viticulture in Rioja Oriental, where they have been cultivating our vineyards for over 80 years. Raquel, Leticia, Rubén and María belong to the fourth generation of the Perez family to be involved at Ontañon. Along with their parents, they continue to enhance the family’s legacy through their wines, origins and the way they have chosen to pay tribute to the wine itself. The family passes on their love for the wines and their vineyard land from generation to generation so that someday, the fifth generation will hopefully also carry on this tradition.
They own more than 120 vineyards in the 3 main regions
- DOCa Rioja
Between Sierra de Yerga and Sierra de La Hez, the family has developed the cultivation of multiple vineyards located at high altitude (600-800 meters):
- Do Ribera del Duero
The Ribera del Duero region is highlighted by its small hills that dot the landscape, its gentle slopes and its gravelly soils. The Duero river begins its course here, flowing from the mountains in the East, Westward towards the Atlantic Ocean.
The high-altitude vineyards range from 600 to 900 meters, averaging 35-40 years of age. The continental climate is slightly influenced by the Mediterranean sea which brings long winters and dramatic temperature shifts from day to night during the summer months. It is an ideal landscape with excellent conditions for making memorable wines.
- Do Rueda
Rueda is an area that is predominantly flat, sitting atop a long plateau with a smooth topographic relief, laden with soils of sand and gravel. Winters in Rueda are long and cold, leading up to the torridly hot summers. In speaking about Rueda, we are speaking about the Verdejo grape. Verdejo is perfectly adapted to these extreme conditions. As a result, they harvest the Verdejo at night to preserve the intense aromatics, acidity and freshness of this variety.
