Eduardo Santos-Ruiz Diaz
Barón de Ley Group has been creating quality wine for almost two decades. Santos-Ruiz Diaz shares the company’s future plans for international expansion.
The seeds of Barón de Leys success were first planted in 1985 when a group of prestigious Rioja professionals decided to establish what was then a unique project within the Rioja Denominación de Origen Calificada: a winery in the style of the Médoc châteaux. From these first steps, the company has flourished, with Barón de Ley now boasting a range of prestigious vintages and a renowned brand.
As one of the founders of Barón de Ley and its CEO, Eduardo Santos-Ruiz Diaz has overseen the growth and evolution of the company as it has grown within the Spanish and European markets. At the beginning of this journey, Eduardo and his fellow founders acquired Finca de Imas, a vineyard located in the municipality of Mendavia, Navarra, on the left bank of the Ebro River. On the site of this vineyard was a sixteenth-century Benedictine monastery, which now serves as the corporate headquarters for Barón de Ley.
After launching its first wine in 1990 with the renowned Barón de Ley-Reserva, Eduardo says the company has grown over the years with the support of its strong brand, smart acquisitions, and strategic partnerships. One of the key factors to our growth was an agreement we made back in 1991 with a venture capital company. We reached a financial agreement that helped Barón de Ley, which was a newly founded, small-scale winery, to purchase a bigger company called El Coto de Rioja and establish the Barón de Ley Group.