Sogrape, Portugal's foremost wine conglomerate, is broadening its involvement in Spain. The Bodegas y Viñedos Viña Mayor complement Sogrape's existing investments in the neighboring country, which include Bodegas LAN in Rioja and Santiago Ruiz in Rías Baixas since 2012, as well as Bodegas Aura in Rueda since 2018.
The seller, the Spanish group Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos, retains the wine brand "Secreto," which has been used for Viña Mayor's premium wine until now. The Ribera winery, established in 1987, is among the largest producers in the region and also produces Verdejo in the neighboring Rueda region. Whether the current technical director, Almudena Alberca, the first Spanish female Master of Wine, will continue to work for the winery remains uncertain.
The Portuguese weekly newspaper Expresso quotes the president of Sogrape, Fernando da Cunha Guedes, who does not rule out further purchases in Spain. The company has a clear focus on the Iberian Peninsula and thus remains attentive to opportunities of value for the company.
