- At the helm of the second generation of the renowned Rueda winemaking dynasty, this engineer and oenologist is the technical director of Pariente Tradición Familiar, which encompasses the original Rueda winery, as well as Prieto Pariente, where unique wines are produced in various parts of Castile and León, and A Vilerma, their venture into Ribeiro.
- With a unique sensitivity for winemaking, Martina preserves the tradition passed down from her grandfather and mother, and together with her brother, they have been able to transcend their boundaries and innovate while safeguarding the family essence.
- A mother, sportswoman, communicator and entrepreneur, she is an advocate of the culture of hard work.
When it comes to wine, blood is thicker than water, and as with so many trades, incredible sagas are forged among barrels and vineyards. In a world that was once dominated by men, generations led by women are emerging with force, claiming and proving their mastery and judgement. Bodegas José Pariente is a perfect example. Founded by Victoria Pariente, it is now her daughter, Martina Prieto Pariente, who safeguards and nurtures (as she does with her wines) the future of this essential part of Rueda. She is the technical director of Pariente Tradición Familiar, the label that encompasses José Pariente, in Rueda, as well as Bodegas Prieto Pariente, which produces wines under the Bierzo, Cebreros and Cigales designations of origin and selects Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y León wines, and the family’s new acquisition, A Vilerma, a quasi-heroic winery in Ribeiro. Martina represents not only the evolution of José Pariente, but also of a world, that of wine, which looks beyond its borders and, without forgetting its roots, opens up to the future.
An engineer, a producer, an entrepreneur
Since childhood, Martina Prieto Pariente has had a love for the land that runs through the veins of winemakers in the Rueda region. Her grandfather, José Pariente, owned an inn and sold glasses of delicious Verdejo wine. It was his daughter, Victoria Pariente, an oenologist and chemistry graduate, who realised her father’s dream (who had passed away shortly before) in 1998 by founding the winery and professionalising the trade. Martina grew up in this environment of reverence for the land and wine, soaking up every harvest, every vintage, and the busy but happy atmosphere that permeates the harvest season. She wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Which were also those of her grandfather. And she prepared herself thoroughly.
After studying at the School of Agricultural Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, she trained as a winemaker at the University of Valladolid and began her career in the family business in 2009. Once again, her mother, Victoria Pariente, was her teacher. She continued to take courses at the University of Bordeaux and to learn more and more every day about the importance of winemaking, a craft that defines her family. Chemistry, alchemy and intuition.
In 2013, together with her brother, she ventured to try her luck and experiment with new winemaking techniques beyond the natural territory of her winery. Thus, Bodegas Prieto Pariente was born, with which they began to recover old vineyards and devoted themselves to the vinification of unique wines in the Duero Valley and the Sierra de Gredos.
Focus on Galicia and wine tourism
In 2021, Martina and Ignacio took over the family business, Bodegas Prieto Pariente. He became CEO and she became technical director. They continued to think about growth. They conceived other white wines. And so, in 2024, they created the third leg of their wine-making triad (now grouped under the Pariente Tradición Familiar label): they acquired A Vilerma (Leiro, Orense), the estate where Arsenio Paz, an indispensable figure in Ribeiro, planted six hectares of six varieties of native grapes on terraces with a 220-metre elevation difference almost half a century ago, with the aim of reviving the appellation’s traditional grape varieties.
The Prieto Pariente family fell in love with this quasi-quixotic courage, and also fulfilled their own dream: to produce wine in Galicia. Without following trends or taking the easy route. Sheltered by the majesty of a landscape of valleys and mountains, Martina and her team successfully produced the first vintage of A Vilerma last year, a blend of Treixadura, Albariño, Godello, Loureira, Lado and Torrontés that has received rave reviews. Of course, it remains absolutely faithful to the spirit of the Ribeiro that Arsenio produced, but with Martina’s unique touch. The next vintage will be released before the summer of 2025. For this lady of Rueda wine, “taming” a Ribeiro and creating it has been a wonderful challenge. She already dreams of creating a wine for ageing that Arsenio himself could enjoy. And there is much more to come. Others are already underway, such as the comprehensive wine tourism offering being developed at A Vilerma, José Pariente and Prieto Pariente.
Well-understood ambition
Martina believes in hard work, which, combined with a healthy dose of ambition, she considers essential for unlocking one’s full potential and contributing positively to the world. She continues to train to obtain the prestigious Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualification. With three projects under her belt and fourteen wines to her name (and more to come), she knows a lot about this. She also enjoys spending time with her three children, travelling to take her wines everywhere and exercising regularly to keep her mind and body healthy. Her latest great achievement was a half marathon, which she endured with more than stoicism. In the end, like athletics, wine is a long-distance race, where the real goal is the next one.
Source: THE NEWSROOM