Carolina García, co-founder and owner of Spain’s Bodegas Valduero, returned to Puerto Rico after more than a decade away for an intimate tasting at the restaurant Luisa International Cuisine in Condado, where media representatives and wine lovers sampled six labels from the Ribera del Duero winery. The visit also served to strengthen the winery’s ties to the Puerto Rican market, where its wines are distributed exclusively by Ballester Hermanos.
García said returning after so many years was a truly emotional moment, praising the Puerto Rican consumer’s appreciation and passion for good wine. Founded in 1984, Bodegas Valduero is among the pioneering wineries of the Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin, with limited production, artisanal vineyard care, long aging processes and the use of underground caves for maturing its wines.
The tasting featured Valduero Lantigua, Valduero 12 Años, Valduero Una Cepa, Valduero Blanco Reserva, Valduero Blanco Gran Reserva and Valduero Rosado Gran Reserva, spanning whites, rosés and long-aged reds. García was joined by Alfonso González, the winery’s export director for Latin America, who called Puerto Rico the winery’s second home, describing it as a knowledgeable and loyal market.
The labels are available at La Enoteca and at restaurants and specialty shops across the island.