Tomas Buendia
Spain
Tomas's Wines
- Spain
- 3Â wines
- 3Â styles
The Spanish Innovator
- Tomas is a trailblazing winemaker on a mission to put one of Spain’s most underrated wine regions back on the map.
- Thanks to innovative young winemakers like Tomas bucking the trend, Castile-La Mancha is emerging from mass-produced obscurity to create some of the best quality, top value wines in Spain.
- As a Castile native, Tomas knows exactly how to take advantage of the super hot days and cool nights – using authentic winemaking techniques and 21st century innovation to craft wines with intense fruit and freshness.
Vineyard Location
Tomas Buendia's Story
Tomas Buendia's Story
"I was born in 1969 in a winemaking family from Valverde del Júcar, close to Uclés. My grandfather owned an inn in town. As a child, I used to see how my uncles unloaded the heavy clay jars full of wine typical from central Castile. When I grew older I went harvesting with my father in the family's vineyards. With the early age of 14 years I started studying viticulture. I never thought about studying anything else. One of my teachers told me I should focus on winemaking, I then started my career as an oenologist. When I turned 19 years old I conducted my first harvest as the main winemaker. From this moment on I never stopped creating wines.
Wine is poetry to me, life, arts. I talk to my wines every single day. I couldn't imagine a life without elaborating wine, even if it's not an easy job. Working with nature implies that there are many constraints, every year is different to the other, but is great fun for me. I could not work as a winemaker if I would not enjoy it.
I have been making wine for the last 20 years in almost all central Castile, Spain. I approach each new vintage as it was my first vintage, with the same enthusiasm, the same fears, and the same respect for nature. Although turning grapes into wine is a natural process, there a myriad things that can go wrong and my job as a winemaker is to be there and make sure the result is as good as possible.
I'm completely committed to the winery I work with. I have had some offers for producing wines in different places of Spain, but I think one has to put all the efforts into the production of each new vintage, managing all the different constraints that arise during the winemaking process.
I love structured, jammy reds with sweet tannins, of course not deprived of elegance, but what I love the most is when wines are honest showing the primary aromas of what they really are.
One of my favorite varietals is the Tempranillo. It is an early ripening grape that needs a cool climate to preserve its freshness. The climate conditions in Uclés are perfect for creating a balanced Tempranillo, thanks to its altitude.
I love going to restaurants and hearing people's comments when they drink my wines. I love to see how the consumer enjoys what I created. Even if there are some negative comments, this helps me to make my wines even better.
Working with Naked Wines for the Angels allows me to first see what the consumers' preferences are, before initiating the winemaking process. I do not need to launch the harvest without being sure if my wine is going to sell.
I have always wanted to create wine that reflect a sense of place: wines that tell of my origins in the northernmost part of Central Castile. This is a beautiful, wild land, where the high altitude vineyards enjoy sunny days and cool nights. I think the wine from my homeland are worth discovering and deserve a place in the world market."
