1	Escape Worlds collide in Panama. read more...
2	Spice Meet the First Lady of Spanish wine. read more...
3	Driver’s Seat The 2010 model year is getting off to a roaring start with two important redesigns. read more...
3	Salud The good news and bad news about improving your health. read more...
3	Style Spring is in the air with some bold Hispanic twists on the latest fashions. read more...

A Spirited Vintage

María Martínez-Sierra knows a thing or two about a good wine. As a head winemaker for Bodegas Montecillo, she blazed a trail as a woman
in a male-dominated field and became known for her keen palette.

When María Martínez-Sierra became the head winemaker for Bodegas Montecillo in 1976, she was taking charge of an institution.
The third-oldest winery in the Spanish region of Rioja, it was established in the 1870s and had a reputation as the epitome of tradition, a home for artisans of wine. Yet it was a perfect fit for Martinez-Sierra, who studied and trained in Bordeaux and Rioja before taking the reigns at Montecillo.
The early days were not easy. Martínez-Sierra recalls that the men at the winery at first did not want to take direction from her. Interestingly, she also had to prevail over her own mother’s resolve against professional pursuits, especially in the wine business, which she viewed as a man’s domain. They did not speak for about 12 years, though the rift has now been healed.
“My parents came from families of some privilege and status in Spain,” Martinez-Sierra says. “My mother never understood why any woman would want to work in an industry ‘full of drunkenness.’ She did not understand wine-making as an art.”
Martínez-Sierra did have the support of her father and boyfriend, Pedro, who later became her husband. Throughout her career, she would take home awards and accolades all the while establishing herself as one of her country’s first ladies of winemaking.
In March, Martínez-Sierra took time out from her work to speak with Hispanic about her foray into the field, her take on winemaking and her outlook on easy entertaining with a vintage Spanish feel.

Hispanic Magazine: What was it about the world of wine that lured you to become a winemaker?
María Martínez-Sierra: It was the wine itself. I remember vividly tasting my first aged Rioja when I was at university; it was a 1939 Siglo Rioja. It changed everything.

HM: What was it like to break into a male-dominated field?
MMS: A little intimidating, to be sure. Being the only woman in a room full of men sometimes meant being discounted, or worse, ignored, at least in the beginning. But when you feel truly passionate about something, that passion has a voice of its own and it overcomes a lot, from your own doubts to those of others.

HM: Once in, how did you cultivate the Bodegas Montecillo label? What kinds of wines were you looking to make?
MMS: My goal has always been to make the best wine the land is capable of producing, and I like to use native Spanish grapes like Tempranillo. Cabernet Sauvignon produces beautiful wine, but Tempranillo is from here and it is, in my opinion, at its most elegant in Rioja.
I think you can taste the affinity to the land in the wine. One thing I never want in any of my wines is a lot of oak. The wine should express itself and have just a touch of oak, which is why I insist on using French oak instead of American. And I never toast it, which I feel can mask the flavors of the wine. A few other Rioja wineries are now starting to use French oak, but it has not always been the “traditional” way.

HM: Do you think the wines say something about you?
MMS: I don’t know if my wines say something about me, but they are all my babies!

HM: Nothing goes better with a good wine than good food. Can you describe three of your favorite wine/food pairings, whether for dinner, tapas or any other occasion?
MMS: Rioja Crianza and young lamb chops. Lamb is a specialty of this part of Spain, and the chuletillas, or grilled young lamb chops, are truly something special. You’re really tasting Rioja when you have these with a fruity young Crianza.
Another good pairing is Albariño and gambas al ajillo. Albariño is a crisp white wine made in the northwest of Spain where seafood is abundant. It is a wine made for shellfish and is delicious with this classic Spanish tapa.
Finally, Rioja Reserva and menestra a la riojana. Menestra is a dish I really enjoy making and eating. It’s a type of vegetable casserole very typical of Rioja that uses whatever vegetables are in season, and I like to serve it with my Montecillo Reserva, something with a little more age and smoothness.
And one more: Pedro Ximénez sherry and blue cheese. This style of sherry is very sweet, tasting of figs, dates, raisins and chocolate and is fantastic with blue cheese, like Valdeón or Cabrales. A really nice pairing at the end of a meal.

HM: Are you a big entertainer?
MMS: I spend a lot of time at the winery and travel quite a bit, but I enjoy having friends and family in my home whenever I can.

HM: If you could picture the perfect entertaining setting what would that be?
MMS: A late spring or early summer lunch in my backyard, enjoying the fresh air and the view of the surrounding mountains. I particularly love grilling young lamb chops al sarmiento, over vine cuttings.

HM: What is your best piece of advice for the home entertainer?
MMS: Keep it simple! Your friends may come for lunch or dinner, but they really come to see you. When I don’t want to spend a lot of time hidden away in the kitchen, I make some simple tapas like tortilla española, pimientos de piquillo stuffed with goat cheese, gambas al ajillo, pincho moruno. They are easy and fun, and I can spend more time talking and less time cooking.