Castilla y Leon, Spain: Maestro Tejero

Alfredo Maestro Tejero was celebrated as "A Magician in the Duero" for elevating the integrity of his appellation while eschewing its label. A native of Peñafiel, the heart of Ribera del Duero, Alfredo Maestro Tejero started planting vines, buying grapes, and making wine in 1998. He played by the rules of modern oenology, but soon learned that truly expressive and original wines are only achieved through natural practices and minimal intervention in the vines and cellar: no synthetic chemicals, biodynamics "sin fanatismo," and no added sulfur during elevage (except at bottling for export). He chooses freedom over branding, working under the broader Castilla y León indication in order to pursue vines outside the limits of the Ribera D.O.