C.V.N.E. launched the Viña Real brand in the 1920s, being one of the pioneers in the production of oak-aged wines in the Rioja Alavesa area. A careful balance between tradition and modernity has defined the form and substance of Viña Real.
Until 1943 Viña Real wines were made from Rioja Alavesa grapes at the CVNE winery in Haro. In 1943 CVNE built a small winery in Elciego, the birthplace of Viña Real, with very small concrete tanks. Cask ageing was carried out at CVNE in Haro.
In 2004, His Majesty Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, inaugurated the new Viña Real winery. This new winery was commissioned to the Bordeaux architect Mazières, who designed a very avant-garde concept. The winery was built on the Cerro de la Mesa, the building is made up of a circular wooden nave in the shape of a vat, which houses the winemaking hall and the barrel room. Inside the Cerro, two tunnels have been excavated to house the bottling line.
Although the winery was inaugurated in 2004, the 2001 vintage of Viña Real was made in this new winery that combines vinification in stainless steel tanks with concrete.
Viña Real represents the tradition of Rioja Alavesa, with a fleshier, rounder and more powerful profile. In other words, Viña Real is nobody's little brother. It is a big brother in its own right.Luis Gutiérrez, prescriber of The Wine Advocate
The grapes used to produce Viña Real wines come from three areas of the Rioja Alavesa, Labastida, Laguardia and Fuenmayor. The plots are located at altitudes between 450 and 650 metres above sea level. They are estates with a predominantly Mediterranean climate, where the vines are arranged in a vertical trellis system. The varieties we work with are Viura, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. This allows us to obtain their characteristic shape and structure.
Eva de Benito, together with the Viña Real team, manages to create wines with great ageing potential, body, structure and aromatic intensity, highlighting their fruit. Viña Real wines stand out for being an indisputable hallmark of the peculiarities of the Rioja Alavesa terroir.
