Top 5 oldest wineries in Spain

Wine production in Spain was already taking place even before the arrival of the Romans to the Iberian Peninsula. In the area of Valencia, archaeological remains dating back more than 2,500 years have been identified that could be wine cellars dug by the Iberians in the rocks. Nowadays, in Spain, we have companies dedicated to winemaking with several centuries of history. Many of them have belonged to the same families since their foundation and, although each one has preserved the crops, they have also improved the ageing techniques and winemaking processes. In this article, we present the five oldest wineries in Spain.

Osca Winery (1480)

The oldest winery is located in Somontano, at the foot of the Pyrenees, in the province of Huesca, and the facilities are located above the house and cellar of the last Spanish Inquisitor. Its underground galleries date back to 1480 and remains from the 19th century have also been found there. Wine produced in a totally artisanal way, with a small limited production of 1500 hectolitres per year, aged in 360 French and American oak barrels.

Codorníu Winery (1551)

Located in the town of Sant Sadurní D’Anoia (Catalonia), the building, designed by the architect Josep Puig i Cadalfach, was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1976. Bodegas Codorníu has been in business for more than 470 years and has been managed by 18 generations of the same family. Among its products, it is a pioneer in the production of Spanish cava with native grape varieties from the Penedès region.

Góngora Wineries (1682)

Bodegas Góngora is located in Villanueva del Ariscal, in Seville and has its origin in the year 1682, when Mr. José Góngora de Arando, a young farmer from Navarra, acquired the Hacienda San Rafael, transforming it into a winery dedicated to aging and aging. of fine wines. The wineries preserve the 16th century winepress in perfect working order, which has a huge wooden press that has been declared a Site of Cultural Interest by the Junta de Andalucía.

Alvear Wineries (1729)

In Montilla, in the province of Córdoba, is Bodegas Alvear, founded in 1729. Since its inception, the winery has maintained its family character, being passed down from parents to children up to eight times. Their national market is located in the Mediterranean area of ​​the peninsula, although they export 40% of their production to more than 25 countries. Among them are Australia, Canada, Holland and Great Britain.

Garvey Cellars (1780)

The history of this firm began in 1780, in Jerez de la Frontera, founded by the Irish aristocrat William Garvey. Garvey’s initial idea was to buy Spanish sheep to cross them with those he had in his country. However, little by little he felt more attracted to the wine sector and ended up settling in Jerez, where he founded the winery. In the beginning, he began preparing straw wines, fine sherry wines that were normally discarded to make vinegar. Currently, the Garvey brand is one of the largest representatives of the wine sector in Jerez.