About us
Each bottle contains three elements which come together in perfect harmony:
the roots, the land of Ribera del Duero from which the grapes are born, the place where everything begins;
the winery, the barrels in which the wines age;
and the people who with their hard work, make Raíz excellence a reality.
The Winery
Raíz de Guzmán was formed in 1998 as the result of a project created in 1985, the year in which Páramo de Guzmán cheeses were first marketed. Raíz emerged under the same philosophy: tradition, innovation and, above all, quality.
500 barrels are contained in the winery. 80% of them are made from French oak, and 20% from American oak. They are renewed every three years to guarantee the quality of the wines.
The Roots
At Bodegas Raíz de Guzmán we make wines with Ribera del Duero DO from 100% Tempranillo grapes.
Tempranillo grapes are considered as one of the best varieties of red grapes in Spain and are used to make the most distinguished wines from Ribera del Duero.
Used for producing young wines including both Crianza and Reserva, Tempranillo is a grape with character and which ages excellently in barrels. It creates a harmonious balance between structure, colour and acidity.
At Bodegas Raíz de Guzmán, we use use 25 hectares of our own vineyards and also rely on local vine growers.
Our grapes are grown from two types of soil: on the one hand from Bocos de Duero, with gravel soil; and on the other hand from higher areas, with at least 3,000 feet of altitude, where there are cool breezes and reddish soil with abundant gravel
We are deeply rooted in the town of Roa de Duero and its surrounding area.
The altitude at which the town is located and the thermal differences common in the area during the time at which the grapes ripen give our wine its character. Raíz is what it is because of Ribera del Duero.
The people
Ignacio Figueroa, winemaker
As the figure in charge of the preparation and production processes of our Raíz wines, Ignacio oversees all the processes, from those relating to the grapes in the vineyard right through to the stage when each wine bottle leaves the winery, ensuring that all customers are provided with a very high quality product. In this way, Figueroa is in charge of the coordination, management and technical control measures for the Raíz de Guzmán wines.
Cayetana Santos, Bodegas Raíz and Quesos Páramo de Guzmán's Manager
Cayetana is the perfect example of Raíz and Páramo de Guzmán’s spirit: hard work and a passion for wine combined with a deep respect for her roots. Our winery’s Manager carries the winemaking tradition in her veins, being a part of the family that owns the company.
She’s in charge of the management and supervision of every department in the winery, both form a comercial and production level. She leads, as well, the company’s Marketing strategy and supervises the expansion into new national and international markets.
Loreto Cob, technical director
Loreto, who has been in the group since Raíz's first harvest in 1998, is mainly in charge of managing the vineyard together with Carlos, in addition to being responsible for the relationship with suppliers and managing all the staff members making up the entire Raíz and Páramo de Guzmán team.
Carlos Santos, vineyard manager
Carlos is in charge of the vineyards. Thanks to his work, Raíz can rely on a high quality raw material as a starting point to make its wine. Carlos manages and controls the entire process of the strain, from the dry and green pruning processes through to the harvest.
Belinda Ruiz, accounting and administration manager
Belinda is the head of the accounting and administration department. She is responsible for managing orders, delivery notes, invoices, bank accounting and all matters relating to Raíz administration.
José de la Fuente, master cheesemaker
José has been part of the team since the establishment of the cheese factory in 1985. He oversees the preparation of the cheese in all its phases, i.e. from the point in which the milk is collected until the product is released onto the market, and in this sense he is the main person responsible for the excellence of Páramo de Guzmán cheeses.
Antonia Palomino, production and control manager
Antonia is responsible for quality at Raíz and Páramo de Guzmán. She monitors humidity, temperatures and other external environmental factors, ensuring the correct curing of our cheeses and the ageing of our wines so that all the products reach your hands in perfect conditions.
Isabel Cob, production and handling manager
Isabel is in charge of monitoring the processes through which our products pass. Her main mission is to be responsible for the packing and canning of the Páramo de Guzmán cheese, as well as the bottling and labelling of the Raíz wines.
Alfonso Torres, commercial director
Alfonso is responsible for the entire Raíz and Páramo de Guzmán commercial network, in other words, his main job is ensuring that you can buy our products and taste them in different restaurants. Together with Cayetana Santos, Torres develops the commercial and marketing strategy. In addition, he is responsible for attracting potential customers and for monitoring current ones.