Cristina Forner of Marqués de Cáceres represents the modern face of Rioja. Born in the Loire Valley, France, she received her wine training in Bordeaux before returning to Spain to work in the family winery.

Marqués de Cáceres was founded in 1970 by Enrique Forner, Christina's father. He was an innovator for the times. Traditional red Rioja tended to receive extended ageing in American oak; a period of 10 to 15 years was not uncommon. In the 1960s, Rioja wines were typically blended from wines from a variety of different zones, resulting in a loss of individual wine personality. They tended to be oaky, oxidative and at times lacking in fruit. Enrique, with the help of renowned Bordeaux wine expert Emile Peynaud, transformed Rioja's wine style. He started by improving the quality of the fruit in the vineyard. In the cellar, the time the wines spent in oak was reduced to preserve fruit purity. They switched from American to French oak. This reduced the sweet vanilla flavours, letting the fruit flavours shine. Under Cristina's stewardship, they continue to produce consistently high quality with value. Adhering to that quality, they hired the famed Michel Rolland, who helps maintain a style popular with international wine drinkers. Cristina has expanded the portfolio to encompass wine regions Rias Baixas and Rueda.