Etérea Kripan

Etérea Kripan is Melanie Hickman's own wine label, operated inside the Bodegas Bhilar facility she shares with her husband, David Sampedro. Of the joint 16-hectare project in Elvillar (Rioja Alavesa), almost half of the vineyards belong to Melanie under the Etérea Kripan brand.

Bhilar itself was launched by David in 2006 as an independent project; David earned Tim Atkin MW's Rioja Winemaker of the Year in 2020. The estate is organic, worked with plough horses, solar-powered, and was certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2024.

Across the joint range, the wines are made with minimal intervention, native yeasts, and varying skin contact for the whites. Melanie's Etérea bottlings include cuvées focused on specific high-elevation parcels around Kripan village - Carrakripan being the most prominent.