The story of a visionary who based his project on innovation and quality 135 years ago

 

 

 

Year when the winery was established and the first “Guerra” wine released. That’s how everything started and why Vinos Guerra is now one of the oldest Spanish wineries producing and selling bottled wine with our own brand since the first day.

 

 

   

The story of the Guerra family and its boost to the wine industry in Bierzo has been mentioned by some historians, but with little details, apart from the notes of his distant cousin Raúl Guerra Garrido. The winery was founded in 1879, which is also when the first bottle of “Guerra” was released and that’s why nowadays Vinos Guerra is one of the oldest wineries of Spain with one of the oldest Spanish brands. An impressive wide range of wines (not only still, but also sparkling) and spirits, Antonio Guerra managed to produce applying imported methods, such as the “champenoise”.

 

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Antonio Guerra was a pharmacist and a real visionary, who was able to understand and value the potential of the vineyards of Bierzo, far before the appellations, the architectural & design wineries, the wine tours and the poetic back labels even existed. Applying revolutionary winemaking techniques and marketing, when the term wasn't probably even invented, Vinos Guerra showed the virtues of the wines from Bierzo to the world. Wines produced with old vineyards of Bierzo, along the Pilgrim Way to Santiago de Compostela, on sunny slopes that conceal Roman and Visigothic treasures. An emotional marketing always combined with the quality of the wide range produced by the winery. A good example is the wine club founded with creative ideas, design and guidelines that nowadays are still original and more up-to-date than ever.

 

 

 

 

 

                                

From a technical point of view and with facilities of 5000 m2, Vinos Guerra was equipped with the best technology at that time offering the possibility to carry out simultaneously multiple vinifications and always aiming for the highest quality. Antonio Guerra actively contributed to the vineyard renovation after phylloxera, helping defining what would be the new Bierzo.

 

 

 

 


 

With an incredible presence all over Spain, the winery developed an impressive media communication campaign on important radio stations, such as Radio Madrid, with, for example, the broadcast of the "pasodoble" composed for the anisette "Anís Bérgidum". But Vinos Guerra had also its own advertising sign in Puerta del Sol (Madrid) together with other important brands, such as Cinzano or González Byass.

 

            

 Years of change.

Quality and innovation as flagship.

           
 

     

Apart from the wines, the winery also produced anisettes, aguardiente (liqueur), brandy, vermouth and many other beverages such as Cola York (advertised and sold as the Coca Cola from Bierzo). A powerful export company selling in many countries (specially in Latin America, USA and Europe) reaching out the strength of its brand, like only a few Spanish wineries managed to, and not only thanks to the many countries where Vinos Guerra was exporting, but also its high turnover. After many years of constant innovation (one of the most incredible examples, is the wine commercialized in smaller bottles than the usual 750 ml. and closed with caps like beer bottles), the sentence of the lawsuit against the Coca Cola Company was passed in February 1961 and the winery started declining till its incorporation in the new cooperative Vinos del Bierzo.

 

 

 

 

 

The new cooperative Vinos del Bierzo was established in 1963 with the best technology and equipment as well as the biggest extension of vineyard of Bierzo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above picture shows the cooperative in the 70’s. Modern facilities for new vinification techniques in a booming company that actively contributed to set up the Appellation Bierzo with its Board and regulations.

With a total extension of approximately 1’000 hectares of vineyards, most of them old vines, the cooperative has a long-term guarantee that allows to select the best grapes for each wine produced (whites, rosés, reds and sparklings).

The main varieties are Mencía and Grenache (Alicante Bouschet) for reds as well as Godello, Doña Blanca, Palomino and Malvasía for whites. The cooperative has been a booming and decisive company for the economic progress of this area, where many people are growers or depend in a way or another on the vineyards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

Here are some of the brands and packagings of the cooperative before the big change.

 

 

 

 

Future

 

New changes, new wines, new projects, new markets,…

 

Our winery, Vinos Guerra, is now in the middle of a transformation period to be ready for a challenging future that is almost here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                      

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