In 1992, Martin Alonso and his partner Gloria Plaza Medina founded Viña Ilusión in the Rioja Baja subzone, where they farm 20 small plots across 12 acres.
Rioja is home to a legendary red wine grape commonly stifled by over-production and excessive intervention. But since the beginning, the farming practices at Vina Ilusion come from a blend of philosophies like Fukuoka’s permaculture methods and Jean Maria Roger and Rudolf Steiner’s biodynamic theories. Sheep are used to fertilize the vineyard.
In September the land is sowed with cereal and annual leguminous plants hanged with a yearly rotation. Wild plants grow with the sowed ones, what adds biodiversity and richness.
Grapes are hand harvested and destemmed then fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel with a really minimal intervention in canteen.
No wood aging is used in Viña Ilusión to preserve the great freshness of the wines and the real Tempranillo taste.
The winery is powered by solar energy and the vineyards are now certified organic. When they began, their neighbors were critical of them, but after many years they are starting to change too.
Vina Ilusion is a real certified organic Gem that became an inspiring story for the whole region.
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