Raquel Pérez Cuevas: “Rioja has always led the way and adapted to changing circumstances”

It has taken 100 years for a woman to preside over the DOCa Rioja, but Raquel Pérez Cuevas (Quel, 1974) has now broken through the glass ceiling. In just a few days, she has also been appointed president of Grupo Rioja, the association with the largest representation  on the Regulatory Board, as well as of the Interprofessional Rioja Wine Organisation (OIPVR).

Her  credentials are impeccable.  Pérez Cuevas holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Navarra and a degree in Oenology from the University of La Rioja. She has also completed postgraduate studies in wine marketing and management in Paris and Navarra, as well as an MBA from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas. Trilingual in Spanish, English and French, she has been CEO of Ontañón, the winery founded by her parents, since 2005.

As vice-president of Grupo Rioja since 2012, Pérez Cuevas was the natural successor to Fernando Salamero, who chaired the Regulatory Board from 2017 to 2021 during the turn of the producers. Over the past four years, the role has been held by Fernando Ezquerro, representing the grape growers.

A member of the Interprofessional since 2010, the new president knows the inner workings of the DOCa well. As a producer, she brings extensive experience in exports andmulti-channel distribution, from supermarket-oriented wines —Ontañón has long supplied the Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona— to premium wines through Queirón, the family's boutique winery. Queirón aims to establish the village of Quel (Rioja Oriental) as a producer of fine wines and has breathed new life into the village’s historic bodega district.

This interview has been edited for style and clarity.

The wine industry, including Rioja, is going through difficult times, with declining consumption and changing trends. What are the main challenges facing the Board in the coming years?
The first is to regain balance, so we can define where we want to be in five, 10 or even 20 years. In the long term,  this balance must be  rooted in quality. Self-regulation and quality must be at the heart of everything we do.

Other key issues are the rural economy and generational renewal. Of the 144 villages in Rioja, those whose livelihoods revolve around vineyards are managing to retain or even grow their populations.

I also want to promote dialogue, bring the industry together and foster stronger networks. Beforestepping into the role, I met with representatives of all the associations that form part of the Council, visiting them at their own premises. I must say that they all gave me a warm welcome, and I was struck by how much we have in common. We often emphasise our differences, but it is far better to focus on what unites us.

Based on those conversations, are there any clear minimum requirements on which such unity could be built?
The key is to increase Rioja's value throughout the entire process so that the DOCa remains both sustainable and profitable. We must work together with a shared purpose, seeing the appellation as a collective legacy whose future we must secure.

What are the priorities for the next four years?
The first is self-regulation, both in the cellars,  with controls of finished wine, and in the vineyards. A good example of the latter is the artificial intelligence system developed by the Board and the DOCa's technical services. This system can monitor a range of viticultural indicators —from yields to disease pressure and water stress— helping to overcome the human limitations of monitoring 65,000 hectares of vineyards.

We also aim to provide high-quality training. Viticulture in Rioja is a highly skilled discipline, steeped in tradition, and we can see there is a strong desire to learn.

Another goal is to build closer links with local gastronomy, culture, institutions and academia. Our ultimate objective is to continue promoting wine and, in doing so, to become ambassadors for ourselves.

Rioja is Spain’s leading wine region, boasting unparalleled diversity. Without arrogance and with humility, we must recognise that this is a great asset —one we must protect, promote and develop.

Will this self-regulation mean yields will be measured by individual plot rather than averaged across a grower’s holdings?
Control takes place both in the winery and in the vineyard. As I said before, this allows for a preventive approach, which is often more efficient than treatments, and has been of great help in recent years. I believe growers now prioritise quality over quantity. We have moved on from a time of abundance —current fruit yields are limited to 90%, and processing yields (litres of wine per kilo of grapes) have been reduced from 70% to 69%. It is important to monitor each vineyard so that growers know whether they are above or below the authorised levels, and to ensure that only compliant grapes  are allowed into the winery.

Could grubbing up be a way to address the decline in wine consumption?
Since the Interprofessional was founded in 2004, 4,500 hectares have been planted in Rioja, 2,500 of which are white varieties. Self-regulation is another tool to help steer the region in the right direction.

Regarding grubbing up, would it be voluntary? Should it focus on those who depend on viticulture for their livelihoods and adhere to strict quality standards, to avoid losing Rioja’s oldest and more valuable vineyards? What kind of funding would it be required?  As with any initiative, uprooting vines would need to be discussed by Rioja's wine industry. Other measures have already proved successful, such as the Balance Recovery Plan launched two years ago. I’m convinced there are many other steps we can take before resorting to irreversible decisions that could jeopardise our vineyard heritage.

In this scenario, there are also uncontrollable forces at play. The climate crisis threatens the industry and impacts yields.
I am confident that Rioja's diversity can provide an advantage here. Whether through different landscapes, elevations, or grape varieties, we have the tools to adapt to climate change. Of course, we are experiencing challenging vintages. 2024 was expected to be excellent, but things went awry at the last minute. This year, we are concerned about mildew. While lower yields may be beneficial in the short term, I believe such reductions should come through self-regulation,  no through diseases like mildew or adverse weather events like hail. In this context, sustainability becomes a strategic cornerstone, not only from an environmental point of view, but also in terms of socioeconomics and governance.

However, Rioja is less committed to organic farming than other Spanish wine-growing regions.
Not quite. We are seeing a steady increase in organic vineyards, and farming practices in Rioja are among the most sustainable in Spain. In fact, the area under organic vineyards has tripled since 2018, and one in four wineries in the region now includes organically certified wines in its portfolio. Whether certified or not, fewer treatments are being carried out, biodiversity is being encouraged, and efforts are being made to achieve greater balance in the vineyards. That said, in Rioja we don’t equate sustainability solely with organic farming. A good example of this broader vision is the Sustainability Diagnosis project, a unique initiative within an appellation with results due to be released soon.

You spoke about the long-term future. Do you have a clear vision of where Rioja will be in 10, 20 or even 50 years' time? Undoubtedly, the region is flourishing, but other areas of the world are also making progress.
I believe Rioja —and Spanish wine in general— must assert its position. Spain offers extraordinary diversity and quality. Having spent half my life in the export arena, I have witnessed our shortcomings up close: namely, our failure to act as ambassadors for our land. This is why we must improve our sales skills.

Rioja has always led the way and adapted to changing circumstances. We owe a great deal to the historic wineries that pioneered exports at a time when no one else was doing so. By the time white wines began gaining traction in 2007, Rioja producers and growers were already well established in the category. It is no coincidence that we are now Spain's second-largest white wine-producing region. Perhaps we may not have always communicated the message well, but I firmly believe —and this is echoed by consumers and opinion leaders alike— that we are producing the best wines in Rioja's history. If we remain disciplined, continue improving quality and communicate this effectively, we will continue to lead the way with far greater prestige. As the umbrella encompassing all this diversity, Rioja must strengthen its position as a global benchmark.

One of the long-standing weaknesses of Rioja —and Spanish wine in general— is the low export price.
The average export price for Rioja stands at €5.20–5.30 per litre, compared to around €4 for Spanish bottled wine. Our commitment is, of course, to ensure that Rioja keeps performing better in terms of value than volume. To achieve this, we must raise quality even further. We cannot charge more for the same quality. The future of Rioja lies in offerting both value and quality, though of course, that is easier said than done.

At the same time, we have to build the pyramid from the bottom up. There cannot be so many differences and that is why control and self-regulation are important. There must be wines for all budgets because not everyone can afford a €50 bottle. The aim is for Rioja to offer the best possible quality at every price point, and for consumers to know that they are getting the best possible quality for their money.

The departure of the Bodegas Familiares association from the Regulatory Board has made apparent the strained relations between different wine players in Rioja.
At a time when Rioja needed unity, I think the industry did not understand this move. In fact, the Interprofessional issued a unanimous statement in response.

To put things into context, when the Rioja Wine Interprofessional organisation was established in 2004, it sought to include all associations and interests by requesting a minimum of 1% representation. This made it possible for 15 associations to be represented, nine from the winegrowing side and six from the wine trade, far more than in other DOs in Spain, or even at a national level. Currently, there are 12 associations, after ENE (Basque Country) lost its 1% representation in the growing sector, and ARBOR merged with Grupo Rioja, and the departure of Bodegas Familiares from both the Interprofessional Organisation and the Board. This diversity makes Rioja’s governance structure unique The region has always valued minority voices and aimed for broad consensus. This is why 75% of votes are required to pass any resolution.

Bodegas Familiares argued that to prove the added value of their wines and gain greater representation on the Board, they were required to undergo external audits  —a cost  their small members couldn’t afford.
Representation is certainly not based solely on volume and litres produced, but also on the average export price per category. In other words, a litre of Crianza doesn’t carry the same value as a litre of Reserva.

The industry asked Bodegas Familiares to stay, because internal dialogue is the way forward. Even ABRA (Rioja Alavesa Wineries Association), after all the fuss over the Viñedos de Álava Designation, is still a member of the Board. I met with them, they have their own proposals and I am keen to hear them.

Given your willingness to talk, do you think now might be the right time for Bodegas Familiares to return?
I don't know whether Bodegas Familiares is considering that. To be honest, when I submitted my candidacy, I made a point of speaking to everyone involved in the Regulatory Board and the Interprofessional. My next priority is to engage with associations outside these bodies, including the wonderful young winegrowers' movement. They may see us as a distant institution, but I would like to sit down with them, present our ideas, and make it clear that they are an important part of Rioja. Ultimately, we all benefit from this great brand that brings us together. We may not always agree, but discussion is healthy.

Is this attitude part of your personality or is it related to the fact that you are a woman? Why has it taken so long for a woman to head the Regulatory Board?
In Rioja, women have always been active —as winemakers, winegrowers and salespeople. But in rural areas, they have often been less visible. I mentioned this in my speech: I am a woman, and many more will follow.

How should the recent resolutions on reducing alcohol content* and categorising certain wines as blends with residual sugar be understood?
Lowering alcohol content is a way to adapt to changing  market demands and offer DOCa Rioja producers more tools. Rioja is seeking to boost sales and reach consumers who may not be ready for a wine with an alcohol content of 14%. While I believe that wine is much more than alcohol, we are witnessing a general shift in consumption habits. The priority for Rioja is to preserve quality, while staying flexible and responsive to what consumers want.

Will lower alcohol wines require dealcoholisation processes?
Alcohol can be reduced in the vineyard and through  dealcoholisation, though the Regulatory Body cannot define which techniques are to be used. EU regulations allow up to 20% of alcohol to be removed, provided the resulting wine does not fall below 9% abv. Rioja is expanding its range to include wines with lower alcohol content, giving greater choice to both producers and consumers.

What about blends?
These are semi-dry wines that were already authorised in Rioja. The Board must be informed of their production, after which it’s optional to indicate this on the label —including the use of the term 'blend'. In certain markets, 'red blend' implies a wine with a specific sugar level. The aim is simply to boost competitiveness and appeal to a broader audience, all while maintaining a focus on quality.

Has Rioja ever considered creating a generic Denominación de Origen (DO) or Vino de la Tierra (VT) category for more commercial wines?
Over the years, Rioja and the wider wine industry have adopted different approaches. The revitalisation of the generic category is a direct response to evolving consumer demand. While 15% abv wines were popular in the past, there is now a preference for more refined styles —and historically, Rioja wines have been around 12% ABV. Rioja is a great appellation in every sense: in terms of quality, surface area under vine and diversity. The key is to strike a balance between all these elements.

*The new minimum alcohol content is 10% ABV for reds and sparkling wines, and 9% ABV for whites and rosés.
**Red blends: wines with a sugar content between 4 and 12 g/l.Rosé and white blends: fwines with a sugar content between 12 and 45 g/l.