Tonelería Murúa has been training new generations of oenologists for more than a decade. Every year, it welcomes students of the Oenology degree at the University of La Rioja to its facilities, where they learn about the essential role that barrels play in the ageing of the highest quality wines.

As Elena Ceca, manager of Tonelería Murúa explains, «showing them live and direct the process of making a barrel, making them aware that this process begins far away from the factory, in the same forest in America or France where the wood is selected, and that they can give it the value it deserves is fundamental for their preparation».

For this reason, this year Tonelería Murúa has welcomed a group of 20 students from the 2nd year of the Oenology course at the UR, accompanied by their tutor Zenaida Guadalupe. During their visit to the new facilities, they followed the same route that the wood follows from the moment it enters the factory and learned about the SITE method: Drying, Immersion, Toasting and Selection. A proprietary and patented method that combines centuries-old tradition with innovation and rigour.

«It is a very practical part of their apprenticeship and they are always very interested in learning about each stage of the process, but without a doubt what most attracts their attention, because it is spectacular, is the toasting and taming of the barrels», says Elena Ceca.

Usually, although this year it has not been possible due to security reasons, the visits end with a tasting in which the students can see how the wood and toasting influence the final result of the wine.

Eleven years of training oenology students has given rise to many anecdotes. Especially, says the manager, when, a few years after their visit, and already working professionals, you meet them again at fairs and they fondly remind me of the training they received at the cooperage.

For Murúa, the winemaker- cooperage tandem is very important to achieve a quality product, and for this very reason these visits are special and important. «We must not forget that, in the not too distant future, they will be responsible for buying the barrels. It is much better if they acquire this knowledge first hand and during their first years of training,» he adds.

But visits from undergraduate students are not the only ones to this century-old cooperage. Every year, oenology master’s degree students from the universities of Madrid and Barcelona also come to La Rioja.

Barcelona also come to La Rioja to learn about this unique barrel-making process. A process that, in its new factory, one of the most modern in Europe, continues to maintain the traditional and artisan method that has been used to make a good barrel for 120 years.

YOU WILL FIND US AT OUR NEW ADDRESS: AVDA LENTISCARES 35, 26370 NAVARRETE, LA RIOJA.