Wine for Normal People

This show is the final in a multi-part, in-depth series on the Rioja DOCa in which we have looked at the three major zones of Rioja through the eyes of top producers to tell us about their areas and the challenges they face. Photo: Raquel Perez Cuevas. Credit: Bodegas Ontañón Facebook Page   This time, Raquel Pérez Cuevas, 4th generation family member of Bodegas Ontañón joins to tell us about Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja). Raquel is an agricultural engineer and oenologist, and has traveled the world presenting the beautiful wines of Ontañón.   Ontañón is one of the most highly regarded and best wineries in Rioja. The family started as growers that sold to large companies but in the 1980s, they started making their own wines, breaking with tradition and most of their neighbors in Oriental at the time. The Perez Cuevas family are unique in that they 250ha of vineyards, in around the village of Quel (which Raquel discusses a lot in the show). Their vineyards are also unique because they sit very high in