This month at BACO, we are focusing on one of the most renowned and elegant wineries in Rioja Alavesa: Bodegas Izadi. Located in Villabuena de Álava, amidst old vineyards and unique micro-plots, Izadi represents the perfect balance between tradition, innovation, and terroir expression.
Through meticulous work in the vineyard and precise winemaking in the cellar, they achieve wines with a gastronomic soul, structure, and a modern profile that doesn't renounce its roots.
At BACO, you can find some of their essentials:
🍷 Izadi Crianza – Fruit, balance, and versatility
🍷 Izadi Rosado – Floral elegance, freshness, and potential
🍷 Izadi Reserva Selección – Depth, complexity, and class
Because knowing a winery is understanding the wine you drink better, let's proceed with our interview with IZADI.
IZADI WAS BORN IN 1987, BUT WITH A VERY CLEAR IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING: TO UNITE GASTRONOMY AND WINE. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE ESSENCE OF YOUR PROJECT TODAY?
The essence of Izadi today remains true to the idea with which we were born in 1987: to unite wine and gastronomy from a demanding yet approachable perspective. From the beginning, we knew that we wanted to make wines that not only spoke of the place we come from, but also that were understood at the table, that accompanied dishes and moments, and that connected with an inquisitive, curious public open to new ways of enjoying wine.
We like to define our wines as the classics of the future. Productions that stem from respect for old vineyards and a unique land — the triangle formed by Villabuena, Samaniego, and Ábalos — but which at the same time dare to reinterpret that tradition from a more contemporary vision. This combination of origin, curiosity, and sensibility is what defines our style.
In each wine, we seek to reflect the typicity of Rioja Alavesa, but also our character: inquisitive and eager to continue exploring. We championed rosés and whites when it wasn't common, we take care of every label, every detail, always working with an eye to the future, but without forgetting where we come from. Because at Izadi, we don't understand wine without history, but neither without evolution.
YOUR VINEYARDS ARE IN THE HEART OF RIOJA ALAVESA. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS AREA THAT IMPARTS SO MUCH PERSONALITY TO YOUR WINES?
Our vineyards are located in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, a privileged area that gives our wines a unique personality. In Villabuena de Álava, where Izadi is located, we are protected by the Sierra de Cantabria, a natural barrier that creates a very special microclimate: it shelters us from the north winds, softens temperatures, and provides rainfall at key moments of the vegetative cycle. These conditions favor a balanced ripening of the grapes and, therefore, wines with great character and elegance.
Furthermore, specifically our village, Villabuena de Álava, is the municipality with the most wineries per inhabitant, a fact that speaks for itself of the legacy and passion for viticulture that exists here.
At Izadi, we work 178 hectares distributed across more than a hundred micro-plots, located between Villabuena, Samaniego, and Ábalos. These are old vineyards, on poor and low-yielding soils, which offer us small but highly concentrated grapes. We are committed to integrated viticulture, respectful of the environment, to maintain the intact expression of the terroir. That, for us, is the true personality of Rioja Alavesa.
YOU WORK WITH A VERY CAREFULLY CULTIVATED PHILOSOPHY IN THE WINERY, BUT ALSO VERY INNOVATIVE IN TERMS OF IMAGE AND COMMUNICATION. HOW DO YOU BALANCE TRADITION AND MODERNITY?
At Izadi, we understand that tradition and innovation are not opposing concepts, but two sides of the same way of doing things. Our starting point is always absolute respect for origin, but at the same time we are driven by a constant desire to evolve, to reinterpret that tradition from a contemporary perspective. This desire has led us, for example, to be pioneers in recovering all indigenous white Rioja grape varieties in a single wine, or to decisively commit to white and rosé wines when it was not common in this area.
And we apply this same philosophy to our image and communication. We believe that wine should connect with people also through design, language, and experience. That's why we like to communicate with emotion, in a close but refined way, and with personality. This balance between what we have inherited and what we want to build is, in essence, what defines our philosophy. Because at Izadi, we aspire to become that classic of the future: a wine that endures for its quality and its faithfulness to the narrative, and that is born from respect for its origin, but that evolves with the times and knows how to speak to the present with its own personality.
OF ALL IZADI WINES, WHICH ONE DO YOU BELIEVE BEST REPRESENTS YOUR IDENTITY AND WHY?
If I had to choose one wine that represents Izadi's identity, I would choose Izadi Selección Blanco. It is a wine that perfectly summarizes who we are and how we understand wine: from respect for tradition to the constant desire to innovate.
Izadi Selección Blanco recovers the six indigenous white grape varieties of Rioja, something unique in the denomination, and blends them into an aged white wine made from the oldest vineyards in the area. Behind this wine there is meticulous research work to understand the behavior of each variety and its contribution to the whole, which clearly reflects our inquisitive spirit and deep connection to our origins.
Furthermore, this wine symbolizes our firm commitment to white wines, a category in which we have believed from the beginning and which today represents a fundamental part of our range. In fact, at Izadi we currently produce more white and rosé wines than reds, a facet that perhaps not everyone knows, but which says a lot about our character: inquisitive and always evolving.
WHAT PROJECTS OR NEWS DO YOU HAVE IN THE WORKS FOR 2025 THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH BACO FOLLOWERS?
In 2025, our big news is undoubtedly our latest release, La Gran Rosa. A premium, exclusive, and very limited edition rosé that represents the culmination of years of experience, curiosity, and innovation.
La Gran Rosa is born with the ambition of becoming the great rosé of Rioja, and it does so with a presentation as singular as its content: only 1,280 bottles in magnum format, meticulously crafted from co-fermented Garnacha Tinta and Garnacha Blanca, and refined with a brief aging on lees in barrel. The grapes come from three exceptional vineyards, including an old Garnacha Blanca vineyard planted in 1952, the same origins that gave life to our already iconic Larrosa Rosé.
Moreover, barely a month has passed since it hit the market, and the prestigious British publication Decanter has already awarded La Gran Rosa 96 points. With La Gran Rosa, we take another step in our philosophy of creating the classics of the future, exploring new ways of understanding wine through respect, curiosity, and sensitivity.
At BACO, we offer you a unique opportunity to discover Bodegas Izadi wines up close, to taste, learn, and share a glass and conversation. The event will be on Thursday, June 19th at 7:30 PM in BACO's Tasting Room, led by IZADI's winemaker.
📍 Limited availability.
And if you can't make it, don't worry:
Soon you'll be able to listen to the full interview on our podcast and watch it on our social media channels.
Because at BACO, wine always has more to say. 🍷
