Almudena Alberca MW is the first and, to date, the only woman in Spain to achieve the title of Master of Wine.

An agricultural engineering graduate specialised in food technology, she continued her studies to gain a further degree in oenology and a Master’s in viticulture. Her first harvest was in New Zealand at Vidal State, part of the Villa Maria group. Since then, she has travelled extensively through wine producing regions worldwide.

Almudena began her career in 2003 producing boutique wines in Viñas del Cenit, Zamora, Spain where she rose from Assistant Winemaker to manage the entire winery. She worked at Dominio de Atauta in Ribera del Duero where she played an integral role in shaping their wine styles and achieving international success. During this time, she was also the Spanish specialist for importer AvivaVino in New York, selecting and blending wines for this market.

From 2015 to 2024, Almudena played an integral role at Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos as Technical Director, as well as being part of the Management Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. As such, she managed 400 Ha of vineyards and five wineries across Northern Spain, including Bodegas Cosme Palacio in Rioja, Viña Mayor in Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro, as well as setting up pioneering projects in Rias Baixas and Valdeorras. During these nine years, she was successful in increasing the overall quality of the wines, developing new wine styles, such as Secreto and Aeronauta, as well as creating a global biodiversity project as part of a long-term sustainability plan.

Today she works as a consultant as well as Brand Ambassador for different brands. She also educates, is the Academic School Director in the food and wine school of Valladolid, teach sommeliers and winemakers around the world, writes about wine for a number of specialist wine titles and judges at international wine competitions. Since 2025 is Regional Chair for Spain in Decanter World Wine Awards.

Primary area(s) of work: Wine production, Strategy, Communication

Industry sector(s): Events, Viticulture, Winemaking, QA/QC, Marketing, Educator, Consultant, Wine judge, Academic, Wine business strategy, Investments, Winery operations

Wine styles: Fine and rare wines, Natural, Champagne, Cava, Sherry, Still white, Still red, Still wines, Dry wines

Wine region expertise: Argentina, Chile, Georgia, Hawke's Bay, Mendoza, New Zealand, South America, Bordeaux, Champagne, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Galicia, Navarra, Spain, Jerez, Sicily, Oregon, Douro, England, Albariño

Market expertise: Europe, North America, United Kingdom, China, Scandinavia, Canada, Spain, England

Specialisms: Sustainability, Vine varieties, Life cycle of the vine, Acquisition of vineyards, Factors affecting grape growing, Cultivation of the vine, Structure and composition of grapes, Harvesting of grapes, Biodynamics, Organic viticulture, Environmental impacts, Processing of grapes, Fermentation, Maturation and blending, Stabilisation and clarification, Production of sparkling wines, Production of fortified wines, Economics of wine production, Wine styling, Winery design and construction, Production costs, Elevage / maturation, Blending, Preparation of finished wine for bottling, Packing and labelling, Quality assurance and control, Bulk shipment, Bottling, Supply chain efficiency, Sensory evaluation , Marketing wine, Investment strategies, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, HORECA, Events, Food and wine pairing, Restaurant wines, Wine tourism, Branding, Education, Events, Starting wineries, Wine judging