Bodegas Ojuel
Overview
Estate
Bodegas Ojuel is a very small, family-rooted winery in Sojuela, Rioja Alta, on the foothills of the Sierra de Moncalvillo, about 9 miles from Logroño. The project is led by Miguel Martínez and is built around the recovery of traditional Rioja farming, winemaking and ethnographic practices. Ojuel produces its own wines within DOCa Rioja, with a particular focus on native varieties, old vineyards and the ancestral Supurao style.
Climate
The vineyards are located around Sojuela at the foot of the Sierra de Moncalvillo. The altitude and proximity to the Sierra create a cool environment that helps preserve the grapes' freshness. The winery's Supurao tradition also depends on the natural winter conditions: whole bunches are hung in covered but ventilated spaces so that the cold mountain air gradually dehydrates the grapes and concentrates their sugars.
Vineyards
Ojuel works with family vineyards around Sojuela and with parcels in the surrounding Moncalvillo area. Its most distinctive sites include Cerrosojón in Sojuela and Carrasojuela in nearby Entrena, both officially recognized as Viñedos Singulares by the Rioja. The winery works with old vines and indigenous varieties, including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Maturana Tinta, Mazuelo, Garnacha Blanca, and Tempranillo Blanco.
Cultivation
Ojuel's viticulture is ecological, using organic fertilization and copper and sulfur for pest management, together with pheromone emitters rather than systemic pesticides. The winery also emphasizes manual harvesting and a low-intervention approach. Its traditional wines are made without added yeasts or tartaric acid and are hand-pressed.
Winery
Ojuel combines traditional cellar practices with small-scale contemporary production. Traditional wines are hand-harvested and pressed in a manual press without added yeasts. The winery's most distinctive wine is Supurao, made by hanging whole bunches in the winter to dry naturally before pressing the concentrated grapes and fermenting the sweet must. The first Supurao Ojuel vintage was produced in 2012, with an initial production of only 600 liters of red and 400 liters of white. The winery also produces dry natural wines such as Los Salvajes and Aloxa, as well as wines made from recovered native varieties.
Family
The project is rooted in Miguel Martínez's family vineyards, the old family cellar, and the agricultural traditions of Sojuela. Miguel began recovering the local Supurao tradition after learning from older people in the village and working with his family's rural heritage. The historic family calao, excavated in the 1930s and enlarged by Miguel's grandfather and neighbors in the 1950s, remains part of the winery's identity and visitor experience.
Winemaker
Miguel Martínez is the founder and driving force behind Bodegas Ojuel. He is a viticulturist and winemaker whose work began with ethnographic research and the recovery of traditional Rioja practices. His approach combines ecological vineyard management, manual work, native varieties, and minimal intervention.
Focus Point
• Small family-rooted winery in Sojuela, Rioja Alta.
• Miguel Martínez as founder and driving force.
• Ecological vineyard approach and manual harvesting.
• Recovery of indigenous Rioja varieties.
• Supurao: ancestral naturally sweet Rioja made from naturally dried grapes.
• Traditional wines made without added yeasts or tartaric acid.
• Strong ethnographic and rural heritage component.
Marketing materials
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Bodega Ojuel logo
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