Meet María Larrea

¿What is your first memory related to the world of wine?

Wine has been present in my life since my childhood. My family has vineyards and makes wine, so I grew up in this wonderful world, accompanying my father in the fields and experiencing the intensity of the grape harvest. It was impossible not to end up fascinated by this world and wanting to know more and more about it.

Who are your role models, a woman in the sector who we should not lose sight of?

My team is made up entirely of women and it is their enthusiasm and desire to learn that motivates me every day. It is a team that is enthusiastic about what we do, which makes the work much easier and means that when things don't go the way we want them to, we have the courage to try again. We are very supportive of each other.

A professional moment/milestone that you remember above all others

When Imperial, our flagship, was voted Best Wine in the World by the prestigious US magazine Wine Spectator in 2013, becoming the first Spanish wine to achieve this recognition. It was a great professional recognition, but also a personal one, because we make this wine in a very artisanal way and only in those years when we consider that the quality will be optimal, otherwise it is not made. We put the best of ourselves and all our affection into Imperial. I will never forget the moment when the whole world recognised that it was the best wine. For me it already was, but I was proud of the international recognition.

What do you ask from a wine?

I ask a wine to make me enjoy the moment, the company and to last in my memory.

A wine that has made an impression on you?

Without a doubt, Imperial. We are very proud of all our wines, but I must admit that Imperial has a very special place in my heart. And another wine that I feel very emotionally attached to is Monopole Clásico, which we launched a few years ago, recovering the Monopole that takes us back to the 70s. It is special because of everything that wine means to us, but above all because Ezequiel García "El Brujo", the magnificent winemaker who made magic with Monopole 40 years ago, came back home to our winery to make this great wine and enchant us again.

What changes do you think are needed in the wine industry?

I think there needs to be a greater commitment, on the one hand, to sustainability and, on the other hand, to the visibility of what we do. In terms of sustainability, I think it is a good time to improve in the work of sustainable viticulture and from that perspective to look for practices that help us to achieve excellence in wines. At CVNE, for example, we have state-of-the-art technological facilities and we have been working in this field for years.

With regard to the promotion of products, it is a fact that in other countries wine receives much greater support when it comes to reaching the public and there is greater interest in making the sector more visible. Here we have come a long way, but we are still learning the importance of wine tourism. At CVNE, we are very committed to the implementation of activities to promote wine culture and in fact, we receive more than 25,000 visitors who come to our house to meet us and enjoy unparalleled experiences and we are looking forward to this pandemic to welcome them back.