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Personalities
 Alejandro Fernandez: worker number one
"Magnum" ¹1(1) September 2005  All the wine world knows this Spaniard from Ribera del Duero.
His best wine is referred to as ’Spanish Chateau Petrus’. He owns 640 hectares of vineyards and annually produces 2.5 million bottles. His business is worth 900 million euros. He still walks to the vineyard at seven in the morning and works together with other peasants.
Alejandro Fernandez is a cult person who nearly single-handedly started the Spanish winemaking revolution. It happened 30 years ago when his charismatic, fruit driven Tempranillo wines were a revelation for Spain and the world. During this time Fernandez built four renowned bodegas — in Ribera del Duero, Zamora and La Mancha. He is seventy three, but actively continues to manage his Grupo Pesquera family business. How can Alejandro keep so fit at such an honourable age? This was the first and unplanned question which I couldn’t but ask right after we met.
- All thanks to wine. It’s the best medicine. People who drink wine age slower. It is a healthy product, it doesn’t make you alcohol dependent. Everybody must drink wine at least because it is healthy. Also, wine gives pleasure in life. It must be drunk with people you love — with friends, with family. To drink good wine together with the beloved ones is like to fly to the sky.
Complex theories about wine as an elitist product suddenly become meaningless. Fernandez’ approach is warm and uncomplicated. As our further conversation will show, he always sticks to simple truths, be it production of wine or philosophy of life.
- You can’t imagine how much I liked Moscow! — he suddenly says with passion, changing the topic. — I thought differently about it. The architecture is stunning, the buildings are beautiful. I travel a lot around the world, but don’t know how I could miss such a wonderful city… Sorry, let’s get back to wine.
Alejandro was born and spent his youth in a fisherman’s village of Pequera de Duero — which will later become famous thanks to Fernandez’ legendary Tinto Pesquera. Although local winemaking traditions count over a thousand years, until recently wine was treated as a common beverage.
- When I was five, children received a piece of bread soaked in wine and sprinkled with sugar for a dessert. Twelve-thirteen year olds were allowed to drink some wine. I also recommend young people to start with wine, not with spirits. The latter are more dangerous for health.
Wine culture of Spain has developed a lot. We have many journalists writing about wine and — what is more important — there are sommeliers. I understand that journalists need to describe wine but some do it in a very complicated manner. My philosophy is different. I taste wine and say whether I like it or not.
Fernandez’ road to producing wine was long and hard. We started to work at the age of 14, helping parents to tender vineyards. Having worked as a carpenter, Alejandro together with his brother opened an agricultural machinery workshop.
- I dreamed that once I earned enough money, I would buy a large vineyard and make wine. When selling my machines, I participated in various Spanish agricultural fairs. My colleagues liked to come by because the boot of my car was always full of wine. We made it at home, with my father. And I brought food with me, too.
Fernandez made home parties for colleagues, to whom he said, ’Here you can drink as much as you want, but if you’d like to take a bottle with you, you will have to pay as I need money’. At the workshop he invented several machines. One of them, an automatic beetroot harvester, finally found a customer. This gave Alejandro money to buy a vineyard and to build a wine cellar. His dream became a reality. He was forty then.
- I bought a bodega that was 400 years old. So much is connected with Pesquera that I do not know where to start. Thirty years ago it was the only place in the area where we made red ’tinto’. Others produced rose wines. The first commercial release in 1975 counted 25,000 bottles. At present I produce two and a half million at 4 bodegas.
Fernandez’ wines are found on 50 world markets.
- We export to all civilized countries, that is those where they drink wine. Spain remains to be the most important market. Here we sell 60 percent of total production. Other key markets are the EU countries, especially Germany, and North America, including the USA, Canada and Mexico. With our substantial production we sell everything and even have a deficit of 400,000 bottles.
Tempranillo is the only variety that Fernandez grows.
- It is a royal variety. Wines stay young when they are two and when they are thirty. In Spain it is known under different names — Tinto Fino, Tinto Pais, Cencibel, but I always say Tempranillo. I experimented with other varieties, for example, with Cabernet Sauvignon, but I prefer Tempranillo. You can’t compare it with international varieties. It has its own character. You can even eat it as a dessert. It is sweet like a young beauty.
In 1982 Fernandez met with Robert Parker who at the time wasn’t keen on Spanish wines. Having tasted Tinto Pesquera, the critic called it ’Spanish Chateau Petrus’. It is not difficult to guess what happened next. Tinto Pesquera became one of the signature wines of Spain. It is equally loved by king Juan Carlos, former prime minister Jose Aznar, singer Julio Iglesias.
- They are all my friends. Last year I attended the wedding of Aznar’s daughter. My gift was Tinto Pesquera. We are friends with Iglesias, his father often comes to the winery.
Did Fernandez expect such results when he started Pequera?
- My winemaking approach comes from the heart. I never thought about what I did. I started to produce wine because I liked it. My wines are made by my father’s method. They carry a tradition of fifty years. Then I had no strategic plans. It is hard to believe that I got to such a high level. But there were no miracles. It is all the result of hard work. I am not young, but still active, energetic and healthy. Thanks to wine.
Fernandez does not consider Vega Sicilia, the other great bodega of Ribera del Duero, as a competitor.
- We are friends, not competitors. I very much respect wines of Vega Sicilia. Tempranillo is blended with other varieties — Cabernet, Merlot. We were big friends with the enologist who worked in Vega Sicilia before Mariano Garcia, and with him, too.
I traveled the whole world and treat competitors with respect. For me the most important thing in business is to be honest. Wine is a noble drink. It is not important what you do with wine. What matters is what it does with you. It helps make friends and learn about them.
If bodega Tinto Pesquera brought Fernandez his renown, Condada de Haza was the place where his dream became true. It is his second estate in Ribera del Duero that was built at the beginning of the eighties.
- I dreamt to have own chateau. In Pesquera vineyards are in a few locations and the winery is built separately. I wanted to do it like in Bordeaux where the winery stands amidst vineyards.
He bought two hundred hectares on the bank of the Duero river twenty kilometers aways from Tinto Pesquera. It took him 17 years to build an exemplary estate. Condado de Haza vineyards look like a green garden growing in an arid area. Like all other Fernandez vineyards, they have drip irrigation which helps to treat vines with care.
- The difference between Tinto Pesquera and Condado de Haza lies purely in soils and microclimate. In both estates I use the same grape variety and production method. The most important thing when making a good wine is to work with love. The wine is born at the vineyard, not the winery. Once must take great care of the vines in order to get a worthy wine. It is a big job to constantly tender the vines.
Who can know better than him. Six hundred and forty hectares of vineyards is a massive figure. Recently two projects outside the fame of Ribera del Duero were included in it.
- I didn’t risk anything because I was sure of the success. My wines are made with heart. As such, it is difficult to get something bad.
Dehesa La Granja is situated outside the delimited winemaking area to the west of Toro. La Granja in Spanish means a farm. It’s been long used for breeding fighter bulls.
-I was stunned by underground cellar that was built in the 18th century. When I saw it, I told my wife that we would buy it without hesitation. I also got the bulls, but it was difficult with them, and later I stopped breeding the. I am a winegrower, not a bull breeder, after all.
Dehesa La Granja has 800 hectares of land, a hundred and forty of which are planted with vines. In other respect, it is a real farm with 2,500 sheep and 500 Limousin cows. Meat, milk and cheese are produced here. Alejandro calls the produced ecologically clean as food for animals is also estate grown. He is not involved in farming, but makes wine here. The latest Fernandez acquistion is El Vinculo in La Mancha.
- I have been around the region plenty of times. There is a lot of wine produced in La Mancha, but it is with high alcohol levels and not clean. I decided to make true wine there.
The first harvest in 2001 didn’t go easy. Grapes in hot La Mancha are gathered late, thus the quality of wines is threatened.
- We started on the 11th of August and people thought we were crazy. We picked only 3-4 kg of clean grapes from each vine against the usual twenty five. One of the most difficult tasks was to explain to people why we did it.
A few years later these practices were considered as a norm among the producers of the region.
- Zapatero (current Spanish prime minister) loves El Vinculo. When he comes to a restaurant he says, ’Give me Pesquera of La Mancha’, — laughs Alejandro.
About 30 families permanently work at Fernandez vineyards. In high season their number comes up to a hundred.
- I treat my workers the same way as my friends although the latter can be important statesmen and members of the royal family. In Spain there is high level of unemployment, and we must give work to people so that they can survive. The average salary of my field workers is 800-1200 with a full social package. It is a good level for Spain. Specialists earn a lot more. People are the most important asset. And I am the worker number one, — jokingly continues Alejandro. — I go to work every day, without holidays and vacations, and work the vines myself. But I do what I love. Work is my hobby.
What about his family?
- My wife Esperanza is a great woman. I believe that men are made by women. There were hard times when I invented several machines but no one was buying them. I was desperate, but survived only thanks to her and her support. When things are well at home, any wife will support her husband. If they are not so good, she can turn away from him. Fortunately, Esperanza supported me in difficult times.
I am a happy man. I have a wife, four daughters and seven granddaughters. I am always surrounded by women.
Hid daughters — Lucia, Olga, Marie-Cruz and Eva-Maria — are involved in the family business. Each one is responsible for a bodega. All live close to each other and often get together. Alejandro doesn’t feel sorry that he wasn’t blessed with a son.
- I can’t say whether I would want or not to have sons. The youngest granddaughter who is not even one year, is called Alejandra after me. Maybe, Eva-Maria will gives us a boy one day.
Fernandez places big hopes on the younger daughter Eva-Maria — and not only those connected with continuity of generations. She is a certified enologist and studied in Madrid, Tarragona and Bordeaux. Fernandez sees her as the heiress to business.
- I was very pleased to have sent Eva-Maria to study in France. When she came back she said she knew everything. ’Education is a good thing but you must understand that a grape berry is not a piece of paper. It cannot be limited to chemical formulae. You still have a lot to learn’, I said. Three years later she apologized for her words.
Alejandro taught Eva-Maria to understand when the harvest is ready for picking. For him this is the key factor of the future quality of wine.
- Grapes must be picked when they are still young as grapes also have youth. The skin must be very soft and must come off easily. When it gets overripe, it has wrinkles. Then there is too much alcohol and the grapes lose the most important asset, acidity. Acidity helps to preserve wine’s youth.
Several days before the harvest Eva-Maria takes samples for laboratory testing. Alejandro tastes the grapes. Both come to similar conclusion.
- I have experience, my daughter has technical knowledge. I didn’t get formal education, but believe it is important.
Have Alejandro thought about having a winery abroad?
- I am thinking about having a vineyard in Russia or the Ukraine to make Russian pesquera, — he jokes. — I like it here better than in the US. Frankly speaking, I would like to build the fifth bodega in Badajoz in Extremadura, but I don’t have time. I need to help my daughters. Also I like to sell wines personally. I want people who do not know about wine to get acquainted with it.
Our meeting is coming to the end. We are enjoying the last glass of Tinto Pesquera Janus 1995. Fernandez decided to open his best wine in the middle of conversation, having suddenly asked:
- Do you have more questions or should I bring the wine?
The conversation flew easier, and maestro made a few more comments.
- Together with the fact that wine should be drunk with food and in good company, it is very important to serve it at the right temperature. It is usually too warm in the restaurants. Red wine should be drank at 15 degrees, the cellar temperature, otherwise you feel alcohol and no flavours.
When you open a bottle, smell the cork. It must smell of wine, not of wood.
We never filter wine. This is a crime. Wine is a living being. Filtration kills it. We always recommend the sommeliers to decant our wines so that the sediment stays in the bottle, not in the glass.
We say good bye as friends. At the farewell, Alejandro’s says the last simple truth.
- You must love people and wine. Wine gives power to love.
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