Alvear
Avda. María Auxiliadora 1,
14555 Montilla (Córdoba)
Winery images
While the time passing by, this winery has not changed its family nature and manual craft character, which has been growing without losing the essence of its philosophy. Now it is the eighth generation of the family, who work hard to preserve the family heritage, the know-how acquired and the values of their winery, with an eye on the future, exploring the roots and special characteristics of the Sierra de Montilla vineyards.
The majority of the vineyard owned by Alvear is located in the best area of the region, Sierra de Montilla, in the south of the province. In this area, with less than 2,000 hectares of vineyards, more than 1,000 are qualified by the Regulatory Council of Montilla-Moriles Certificate of Origin as Superior Quality. In this land are the best ‘pagos’ of Montilla, including Pago de Benavente and Pago de Riofrío.
The Winery
Founded in 1729, this winery counts almost three centuries of history, making Alvear the second oldest winery in Spain and the most ancient in Andalucía.
Deeply committed to Montilla wines for almost 300 years, the winery has produced continuously throughout its history and houses extremely old soleras, authentic gems of Spanish winemaking. It has preserved the legacy of its cellars, home to liquid treasures in serene repose, some over 200 years old, some even pre-dating phylloxera. Montilla might not have any vineyards from before the historic blight, but some of the wines survive to this day.
The Vineyards
What makes the vineyard of this region special are albariza soils, a material capable of retaining water in an area where it rains between 550 and 600 liters per year, except in some ‘’pagos’’, and its draining power, which prevents them from accumulating water and salts. Poor soils with a high level of lime, similar to those found in some prestigious wine producing areas in the world, such as Champagne.
Main milestones of the winery
The winemaking history of Montilla would not be the same without Alvear. The winery represents the quality of the region’s terroirs and wines, as well as exemplifying the determination to preserve certain business and vinicultural values. Several individuals set significant milestones in the winery’s history.
Apart from Don. Diego de Alvear y Ponce de León, who was responsible for the impulse of the winery at the beginning of the 19th century, Sabina and Candelaria Alvear Ward deserve special mention. They were women ahead of their time, who traveled to potential markets and soaked up the tastes and customs of their clients, thus facilitating trade relations with those countries. Sabina also recognized the potential of Pedro Ximénez in the production of quality wines. She began paying growers more for this variety, which contributed to the expansion of Pedro Ximénez plantings, now the flagship grape of the Montilla region.
