Team

Valdemar Estates is led by fifth-generation Owner & CEO Jesús Martínez Bujanda. Jesús oversees all operations for the Valdemar Family, which includes Bodegas Valdemar, the original family winery in Rioja, Spain. His sister, Ana, is COO for the brand, and their father, Jesús, acts in an advisory role while enjoying his retirement. Valdemar Estates’ Washington winery team includes a unique group of individuals who come to the property with experience in all different facets of the wine and hospitality industries.

Wine Enthusiast‘s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers list recognizes winemakers, brewers, beverage directors, grape growers, and other movers and shakers who are changing today’s beverage industry.

Photo by Matt Sayles

Jesús Martínez Bujanda

OWNER & CEO

The fifth generation of a family of Rioja producers and wine growers, Jesús was born in 1988 in Oyón, Spain. There, he spent his childhood in continuous contact with the family winery and vineyards.

Both during his studies and during his professional career, he has always sought to live internationally. During his studies at the University of Navarra (International Degree in Management), he had the opportunity to make two international exchanges: one at the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (Milan, Italy) and another at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. During the time he spent in Seattle, he fell in love of Washington state and knew he would move there.

He finished his studies in 2010 then worked as a Financial Auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he had the opportunity to work for clients in many sectors. In 2014, he took the mantle of his father as CEO of Valdemar Family. After years of looking for opportunities to grow the family business, he decided to build a new winery in Walla Walla and permanently moved to this amazing community to develop this project.

Ana Martínez Bujanda, 5th generation owner and Chief Operating Officer for the Valdemar Family.

Ana Martínez Bujanda

OWNER & COO

Ana belongs to the fifth generation of a family dedicated to viticulture and wine production dating back to 1889.

As a young girl, Ana remembers always being in love with the vineyards, especially taking bike trips through them, having picnics surrounded by them and also enjoying sunsets in Oyón, a village that she has seen grow and which she has fond memories of as a child.

At the University of Navarra, Ana studied Dietetics and Human Nutrition, later expanding her studies with a degree in Marketing in Bilbao.  Over the years, she discovered photography as one of her greatest passions and later obtained the title of professional photographer from the New York Institute of Photography.

Currently, Ana is Valdemar Family’s COO Chief Operating Officer.

Proud of the Valdemar Estates project, Ana assists her brother Jesús from Spain, and whenever possible, travels to Walla Walla to closely follow this family dream.

  • Devyani Isabel Gupta

    HEAD WINEMAKER

    Originally from Portland, Oregon, Devyani’s wine journey began when she moved to Walla Walla to attend Whitman College. After earning bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Spanish, she studied Enology & Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. Early on her path in winemaking, Devyani knew that great wines are “made” in the vineyard; to immerse herself in both winemaking and grape growing, she worked for several original pioneers of the Walla Walla Valley, including Seven Hills Vineyard and Figgins Family Wine Estates. Devyani admired the Valdemar Family’s legacy of innovation and commitment to sustainable viticulture and joined the Valdemar Estates project in early 2019. As head winemaker, Devyani is the driving force behind our Washington Wines, and her passion and commitment shine through in every bottle.

     Outside of the winery, Devyani is deeply committed to serving her wine community and its future; she currently chairs the Advisory Committee for the local Enology & Viticulture Program, serves as board commissioner for the Washington State Wine Commission and on the board of directors for VITAL Wines.