CVNE acquires Bodegas La Val in Rías Biaxas

Rioja wine group Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) has bought Bodegas La Val for an undisclosed sum, bringing its portfolio up to eight wineries across Spain.

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) has formalised the acquisition of Bodegas La Val, and in doing so adds a Rías Baixas winery into its fold for the first time.

Based in the small town of Salvaterra de Miño, Bodegas La Val is the eighth winery to join the Spanish group and brings with it a wealth of expertise in Albariño, meaning that the grape variety will now be incorporated into CVNE’s offering.

A pioneer in Albariño production, La Val was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Rías Baixas appellation in 1988 and is a well-known brand in the region. It produces wines only from its own vineyards, which currently span more than 90 hectares. All fruit is hand harvested from vines as old as 30 years, and the winery increasingly favours natural winemaking techniques. In 2018, for instance, La Val led a research project into the viability of replacing harmful fungicides with nano-particles in the vineyard. Its soils are mostly sandy loam with some clay and a smattering of pebble stones.

The winery also makes a range of liquors made from grape husks, including a coffee liquor and a herb liquor.

CVNE, which was founded in 1879 in the Rioja Alta town of Haro, already owns wine estates in the D.O.Ca Rioja, D.O. Ribera del Duero, D.O. Valdeorras and D.O. Cava. Among the group’s roster of properties are Viña Real and Contino in Rioja; Virgen del Galir in Valdeorras; Bela in Ribera del Duero and Roger Goulart in Cava.

“Our objective is to be Spain’s most important winery,” said Víctor Urrutia, CEO of CVNE. “Buying La Val will help us to consolidate this objective.’’

The fact that La Val allocates 70% of its sales to export markets means that with CVNE’s muscle power, we could soon be seeing significantly more premium Albariño arriving in the UK.