Bodegas Valtravieso is our insider tip from the Ribera del Duero. The winery is located on the Páramo de Piñel de Arriba plateau and has other vineyards in the Pesquera and Valbuena plateaus. An extreme and demanding terroir, characterised by large temperature fluctuations, sun and wind. But Ricardo Velasco coaxes an exceptionally elegant wine out of these adversities. The oenologist from Valencia is an exceptionally talented man: having grown up without a family tradition of wine, he decided to become a winemaker at the age of 15 after seeing a winemaker explaining his work on television. After his apprenticeship in Bordeaux, he joined Bodegas Valtravieso in 2014.

"As Valtravieso's oenologist, my aim is to express the unique terroir of our wines. Due to the altitude of our vineyards – at over 900 metres – we produce deep, long wines. We are not looking for a very pronounced and heavy structure, but for freshness, finesse and elegance," emphasises Velasco. The Spaniard's particular enthusiasm and precision work have not gone unnoticed by the British Master of Wine Tim Atkin. He chose Ricardo Velasco as "Young Winemaker of the Year". Hats off to him!

Four million pesetas, an oenologist and an artist... this is how the story of the Mallorcan winery 4Kilos begins. "The name reminds me every day of how our first wines were created," explains oenologist Francesc Grimalt, who founded the winery in 2006 together with musician and artist Sergio Caballero. The two men contributed the start-up capital equivalent to 25,000 francs in equal shares. It was just enough for the most important purchases. First and foremost, this meant grapes. The wine was pressed in a friend's garage using steel tanks from a former dairy. It's a crazy story when you consider that Grimalt, then head oenologist at the famous Mallorcan winery Anima Negra, and Caballero, founder of the internationally renowned Sonar music festival, were already enjoying considerable professional success. The two could easily have found an investor and had a smart winery built, as was common practice at the time. But the two idealists wanted to prove that it wasn't financial means that are decisive in making good wine – but a passion for winemaking and sheer determination. And lo and behold: The leading Spanish wine magazines were ecstatic in their praise of the first vintage and gave it top marks. This began the legend. In 2007, the winery was established in the Grimalt family's converted sheepfold. Today, 4Kilos is one of the leading wineries in Mallorca, its wines are in demand in top gastronomic circles and are celebrated by wine critics. When asked what has changed as a result of this great success, Francesc Grimalt replies after a moment's thought: "I'm an old man now. Only that has changed. Ah, and I've been through two divorces." The Mallorcan is a down-to-earth person and a thoroughbred winemaker who doesn't take himself too seriously. With his wine, however, it's a different story: "It's my life!" says Grimalt with an emphasis that carries more weight than 97 Parker points or four million.