Bodegas Vega Sicília

The story of Bodegas Vega Sicilia began in 1848, when Toribio Lecanta decided to buy Marqués de Valbuena, a estate of approximately 2,000 hectares, initially destined for agricultural land. In 1864 his son Eloy decided to buy 18,000 vine shoots of the traditional Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. In order to produce brandy and ratafia, Eloy created Bodegas Vega Sicilia winery in the Ribera del Duero region, and the company soon acquired a reputation for producing outstanding spirits, so much so that only 4 years later it became the purveyor to the Royal Spanish Court. Interestingly, not a single still wine had been yet produced under the name Vega Sicilia.

The arrival of Domingo Garramiola, a key figure in the history of Bodegas Vega Sicilia, changed many things. He brought with him the latest Bordeaux winemaking techniques which, after much effort and many tries, finally made possible the release of the first Vega Sicilia wine in the year 1915. A top-notch wine of a very limited production, it was immediately embraced by some affluent consumers as a sort of class-defining item. From then onwards, the Vega Sicilia brand became closely associated with the world of luxury and high living.

After the passing of Mr. Garramiola, Jesús Anadón, another key player in the history of Bodegas Vega Sicilia, took charge of the winery. One of the promoters of the DO Ribera del Duero, in 1982 he joined forces with the Álvarez family, who had recently bought the company, and together they began expanding the estate to increase production and maximise quality. Nowadays, the wines of Bodegas Vega Sicilia are sourced from 210 hectares of vineyards with 19 different soil typologies. They are planted with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines 35 years old on average. The head of vineyard management is Enrique Macías, and current chief winemaker is Gonzalo Iturriega, who took the baton from Xavier Ausàs in 2015.

In 1991 the Álvarez family founded Bodegas Alión to convey a modern take on Ribera del Duero, in contrast with the classicism that defines the mother company. In 1993, they launched their first international venture, the Tokaj Oremus winery in Hungary. In 2001, after having bought 70 hectares of vineyards, Bodegas Vega Sicilia started a new company in Toro, Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia. Three years later, in 2004, the company began a partnership firm with the prestigious Benjamin the Rothschild winery to produce wine in DOCa Rioja under the Macán brand. Needless to say, all of this business ventures have the same, uncompromisingly high quality standards which are the mother company's trademark.

• Year of foundation: 1864
• Address:  Finca Vega Sicilia Carretera N 122, km. 323
• City: Valbuena de Duero
• Province: Valladolid
• Zip code: 47359
• Country: Spain
• Phone number: 34 983 680 147
• www.vega-sicilia.com
• Guided visits? No
• Wine tourism services? No