Meet María Vargas

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

I don't have a specific memory of the world of wine, although in my family wine has been part of their daily life due to business matters, as my father has a company dedicated to the packaging of wood for wines, and due to training, as he is an oenologist, although he has never worked as such. What I do remember is the daily consumption of wine at home, including special wines for holidays.

What are your references? Tell us a woman in the sector who we should not lose sight of

My references in my life are my parents and family, they have taught me the values of work, involvement, honesty, patience... I think all of them are basic to be able to develop a vineyard and make a good wine.

We must not lose sight of the young professionals who work in different areas of the sector, regardless of whether they are men or women, who are highly educated and are undoubtedly the future.

A professional moment/milestone that you remember above all others

It is very difficult to remember a single moment from the 25 years I have been at Marqués de Murrieta, but I think that when they awarded 100 Parker points to our Castillo Ygay 1986 white in 2016, along with the latest naming of our Castillo Ygay 2010 now in December 2020 as "best wine in the world" have been two very special moments, indicators that we are doing things well and continuously.

What do you ask from a wine?

The first thing is health, as any deviation in this area will be directly transmitted to the quality of the wine obtained. From there, the location, type of soil and age of the vineyard, the variety and cultivation method, and of course the winemaking process are fundamental. A good management of all this is what gives rise to a good wine.

A wine that has left its mark on you?

Our 1950 Castillo Ygay white wine is a demonstration of elegance, strength, balance and the best ageing in barrels and subsequent development in bottle.

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

Although in recent years, the wine industry has been incorporating technological innovations, this is a point that in my opinion is not keeping pace with other sectors, and I would like to see it become more agile.

Another aspect that I think we need to focus on is communication; we have a responsibility to make wine more accessible, and thus bring in new consumers. It is impossible not to fall in love with wine once you know all that it encompasses: history, culture, landscape... and its proper dissemination must be one of our main tasks.