Click here to read the Spanish version.
The Portuguese group Sogrape continues its expansion in Spain with the purchase of Bodegas Viña Mayor from Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos. With this move, Portugal’s largest wine company seeks to develop and promote the Viña Mayor brand in Spain and international markets through its solid distribution network. It also strengthens its position in the Spanish market with its entry into the ‘Golden Mile’ of Ribera del Duero. For its part, Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos will maintain the Secreto brand, which will be its flagship brand in Ribera del Duero, as detailed in the statement.
Villa Mayor was founded in 1986, being one of the first companies to adhere to the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin. This agreement on the Spanish side of the Douro River is in addition to its holdings in Portugal, where it has more than a dozen estates and vineyards, where it produces DOC Douro wines iconic for their exclusivity, uniqueness and prestige, such as the emblematic Casa Ferreirinha Barca-Velha, and renowned Port Wines of the Sandeman and Porto Ferreira brands.
Sogrape focuses on Spain’s four R’s
“Having a clear strategic focus on Iberia, we were and continue to look for opportunities that were of interest and added value to Sogrape’s operation. We have always believed in the importance of having a solid presence in the four R’s of Spain: Rioja, Rías Baixas, Rueda and Ribera del Duero, having established a significant position in the first three, we intended to strengthen in the fourth for the quality of its wines and the value and potential this region has for the Spanish market and some international markets. We are very excited to collaborate with the Entrecanales family in this agreement, which will strengthen our Iberian relevance”, details in the statement Fernando da Cunha Guedes, president of Sogrape.
Villa Mayor thus joins the portfolio that the Portuguese company has in Spain, with Bodegas LAN in La Rioja -acquired in 2012-, as well as Bodegas Aura in Rueda -since 2018-.
Gonzalo Entrecanales, chairman of Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos, also expressed his satisfaction with this agreement: “Working with Sogrape and the Guedes family over the last year has given us confidence. We are confident that this is the right choice for Viña Mayor to prosper in the future. At the same time, we are entering a new and exciting phase for EDH where we will continue to focus on our premium brands and continue in Ribera del Duero through the new project of our boutique winery Secreto”.