Irene Rodríguez

Enologist and owner of Bodega Hortanza (Trebuesto, Cantabria, Spain)

This enologist from Cantabria made her dream come true by going back to her village to manage her own vineyards. Doing it she won the 2022 "Alimentos de Cantabria" award in the Best Entrepreneurial Project category.

Irene studied enology, even though her family had no direct links to the world of wine, but she was positive she wanted to study something in relation to aromas. She learned the trade and carried out her first internships in La Rioja. She then travelled to Australia, where she perfected her English as she picked grapes. When she came back, she started work at the Bodegas Bilbaínas winery.

While working as an enologist in La Rioja, she took the decision to plant vines on land belonging to her family in the village where she was born, Trebuesto. What started out as a modest project began to take shape, to the point that Irene threw herself into it completely, and now in addition to the vineyard the facilities include a winery and a rural guest house. Last year her efforts were rewarded with the "Alimentos de Cantabria" award in the Best Entrepreneurial Project category.