Bodegas Valdelana

Since 1583, the history of our winery has been synonymous with the history of our family. 

The Valdelana family has been making wine in the same place, our beloved Elciego, for 14 generations. But the story goes beyond wine production, as there are traces of Elciego’s existence dating back to the 1st century AD. 

It was in the 1st century AD when the Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula, advancing through the Ebro River delta. Upon reaching the area of ​​Elciego, they settled in what was known as “Romaneda,” where they introduced two Mediterranean crops: the grapevine and the olive tree. They colonized the Cantabrian Mountains and the Urbasa Mountains, relying on the knowledge of a Portuguese shepherd named Viriatus. After a confrontation in the Lana Valley (located in the Urbasa Mountains), they killed Viriatus’s daughter, Minicia. Her tombstone bears the inscription: “Minicia, daughter of Viriatus, here lies at the age of 3.”

All descendants of the Lana Valley bear this inscription on their family crest. The oldest document in the winery dates from November 12, 1583. This is the date on which, during the reign of Philip II, Elciego achieved its independence from Laguardia. The King of Spain paid for this independence with maravedís and jugs of wine that came from the “Calao de la Villa” (the town’s wine cellar). It was at the end of the 14th century that our ancestors left in search of a better life. Thus, they left the Lana Valley and crossed the Sierra de Codes mountain range, eventually settling in Elciego (Rioja Alavesa). Their love for their land led them to abandon their surname, Ibarrola, choosing instead the name of their beloved valley, Valdelana.

Thus, in 1615, the first winegrower in our family, Pedro Valdelana, was born, and he laid the first stone of the winery. The foundations upon which we stand today.

Around 1634, our ancestor Pedro Valdelana began making his wines in one of the cellars that we still preserve today. He made wine for his own consumption, maintaining the characteristics of the Tempranillo grape that we enjoy today.

In 1950, great-grandfather Pedro Valdelana made great efforts to expand his vineyard. Later, grandfather Isidoro proudly recalls his beginnings in the business, when in 1974 he launched the first bottle with the Valdelana label.

Currently, the winery is owned by Juan Jesús Valdelana, who entered the world of wine in 1980, purchasing his first vineyards from a winery in Elciego, thus expanding the family business. In 1989, he was selected, along with 14 other winegrowers from the Rioja Alavesa region, to receive training in viticulture, oenology, and marketing, obtaining his winemaking certification in 1991. He oversaw the latest expansions of the building and embarked on new ventures, drawing on the wisdom of his family’s wine growers.

The latest generations, Judit Valdelana (Director of the commercial and marketing department) and Juan Valdelana (Technical Director and winemaker) continue with the same enthusiasm as our ancestors, expanding our wines to many corners of the world and merging family tradition with the latest winemaking trends.