Javier Vela
Winemaker
Javier Vela was born in Tabuenca, a small wine-producing village in the Campo de Borja region. After growing up among the vines and working in his family’s vineyards, Javier studied at the School of Grape and Wine in Madrid, gaining certification as a Technical Specialist in Viticulture and Oenology. He earned a degree in Enology from Rovira y Virgili University in Tarragona, and later earned a Masters in Viticulture and Enology from the ISSC. After working as an enologist at different wineries in Cariñena and Alicante, Javier returned home to Campo de Borja in 1991 to accept a position with Bodegas Aragonesas, where he has undertaken an ambitious project of crafting wines of the highest quality from the Grenache variety. Among his many accomplishments is the wine Fagus, a worldwide benchmark for Grenache wines, described by the prestigious Spanish wine publication Peñín as “the best Grenache wine ever elaborated.”
Fernando Ballesteros
Winemaker
Fernando Ballesteros began his career as a Technical Agricultural Engineer, but was drawn into the world of wine in 1986 when he took a position as General Manager of a small winery in Zaragoza. Fernando has a Masters degree in Enology and Enotechnics from the University of Madrid and a Masters in Viticulture and Oenology from the ISSC. Fernando has worked as an enologist at numerous wineries in Spain’s Calatayud DO, and has been involved in a winery project in Chile. He currently directs winemaking and wine production for the Cooperative of Fuendejalón. He serves as president of the Aragón Association of Enologists.
Javier Baselga
Winemaker
Javier Baselga is a young and enthusiastic oenologist who started his career as an archaeologist. His interest in wine began when he was working on excavations of Roman remains in La Rioja and Burgundy. After studying Enotechnics at Cariñena, he held several wine positions in the Somontano DO. Javier started at Bodegas Aragonesas in 2004, where he directs wine production at the Cooperative of Magallón.
Almira was developed to provide consumers with high quality, affordable Spanish wines for everyday drinking. Almira has two signature offerings: Los Dos and Los Dos En Barrica. “Los Dos” is Spanish for “both,” and the name reflects the fact that the wines are blends of two complementary varietals, Garnacha and Syrah. Los Dos is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel while Los Dos En Barrica is aged in French barriques.
Almira wines are produced by a group of noteworthy winemakers in the Campo de Borja DO in the Aragon region of northeastern Spain. Red wines predominate in this DO, with Garnacha playing a leading role. Syrah, however, is not often seen in this part of Spain, though common in the Rhone Valley. For this area blending Syrah with Garnacha was an unusual winemaking decision but has proven to be a worthwhile undertaking which has set Almira apart.
