Julián Murúa, owner and chief executive of the group, explains the origins and fundamental values of Muriel Wines.
How did Muriel start?
In the same manner as many family-owned businesses: with a great deal of effort and the need to provide for the family. Back then "in the early part of the 20th century" Rioja wines were starting to be known and sold across Spain. My father, who was born in Elciego, owned some vineyards. From an early age, he sold wines from the village in cities like San Sebastián and Bilbao. Gradually, the business prospered and in 1928 he took a leap forward and established the first family winery in Elciego, barely a few metres away from where Bodegas Muriel stands today.
Was that first winery also called Muriel?
No, the name Muriel was a brand that my father thought of and registered later and is a sum of the first letters of Murúa, Rioja and Elciego. It's actually a pretty name and it sounds well in all sorts of languages. In this sense, my father was a visionary.
When did you join the family business?
I started in the world of wine at a young age working as a winemaker for several wineries. I then moved onto making tailor-made wines for various clients I learnt a great deal doing this and I got to know countless markets and persons. In the 1980s, I decided to set up my own winery and that's how Bodegas Muriel was born in 1986.
Soon after that your wines were sold internationally.
That was something gradual and I would say that it came about almost naturally. At the time, Rioja started to become a global brand; demand from foreign markets was on the rise so exporting our wines was a logical process. Nowadays, more than 70% of Muriel Group wines are sold abroad.
How would you describe Muriel?
I like to say that we have one foot on the vineyard and another one on the world. What I mean is that we are deeply rooted in Elciego, in Rioja Alavesa, in Rioja as a whole, but at the same time our strength lies in understanding and listening to consumers, wherever they are.
And you also make wines in other regions.
That's right. Our very own commercial drive has pushed us to make wines in other areas. As well as the wineries in Rioja (Muriel, Viña Eguía, Marqués de Elciego and Bodegas Ollauri-Conde de los Andes), we own the brands Real Compañía "with a range of varietal wines from various Spanish regions" and Pazo Cilleiro, our winery in Rías Baixas.
This idea of understanding where we stand and our desire to go further has guided us from the days when we had just one winery to the situation today, with brands such as Viña Eguía, with modern and easy-to-drink Rioja wines, or Conde de los Andes, whose premium wines echo the history of a prestigious Rioja Alta house.
Julián Murúa tasting wine blends at Bodegas Muriel (Elciego, Rioja Alavesa)
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