The Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE, also often referred to Cune) is a family group founded in 1879 in Haro, La Rioja, Spain.
Counting with 3 wineries in the Rioja DOCa region (the CVNE winery itself, Viña Real, and Contino), it one of the biggest wine producer of the region.
Because it is a historic winery of Rioja, and because of its sheer size, the group is also one of the very most famous of Spain.
The quality of the wines has also contributed to the producer’s fame. Most notably thanks to the tittle of #1 wine in Wine Spectator’s magazine Top 100 claimed by 2004 Imperial Gran Reserva in 2013.
With its logo bearing the colors of the Spanish flag, the group is a proud ambassador of Spanish wines on all international markets.
Read along as we dig deeper into the roots of this celebrated and prominent Spanish wine producer.
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The information and images below were provided by CVNE, assembled and developped by Social Vignerons.
Brief history
CVNE stands for ‘Wine Company from the North of Spain’. The company was founded in 1879 in Rioja and to this day is controlled and managed by the same family in its fifth generation.
CVNE stands for Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, or Wine Company from the North of Spain. Quite a mouthful but also quite appropriate. This anonymous name is fitting with the family and their introspective nature. People come and go; what perseveres, what matters, is the wine and its heritage.
On CVNE’s wines you won’t find an aristocratic crest, or a family shield. You will see the flag of Spain. It has been there, by royal consent, since the 19th century. We are ambassadors for our country, and Imperial is the wine from Spain.
Nowadays CVNE consists of 3 wineries, all located in the La Rioja region:
- CVNE: a century-old winery in Rioja Alta and located in the Barrio de la Estación de Haro, the wine capital. We found a village wine, a bottle graveyard, a winery autonomous within the larger winery, the Eiffel Nave.
- Viña Real is a modern built on the Cerro de la Mesa – Alava – just 4 km from Logroño – inaugurated in 2004 under the orders of Bordeaux architect Philippe Maziere, who was able to capture in this groundbreaking authentic allegory cellar the wine world.
- Contino vineyards was the first concept of French Chateau moved to Rioja. A manor house surrounded by vineyards.
Key Facts about CVNE:
- Family wine business company, 5th generation .
- Classical Brands. Some launched in 1915.
- Tradition + Innovation. Constant investments in vineyards, vinification plants and wineries
- CVNE is the only winery in Rioja having achieved ratings and medals from the basic range until the top.
- International presence. All around the world. 70 countries.
Location
Rioja is a privileged region for growing grapes and making top-quality wines, with a unique personality and an exceptional aptitude for ageing. The Rioja wine region is located in northern Spain, on both sides of the River Ebro. The local terrain perfectly delimits the region and sets it apart from surrounding territories.
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CVNE – Between one point and another, 120 kilometers from East to West.
Situated at Barrio de la Estación in Haro, La Rioja, in its original location. Founded in 1979.
The vineyards are located on both sides of the river, and at some points ascend the slopes of the mountains that surround the valley, to a maximum height of 700 meters.
Vines: small size, located on terraces and gentle slopes, poor soils with clay-limestone.
Yields are moderated (between 5-6000 kg / ha)
Until the end of the 70s, distribution in Rioja was approximately: 40% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha and 20% other varieties, mainly Mazuelo, Viura and Graciano.
It is in the late 70s when the Tempranillo begins to grow exponentially especially in Rioja Alta.
Garnacha detriment of remaining in more rural land.
Today: 63,600 hectares total Rioja. 12000 ha Rioja Alavesa
Rioja: about 80% is Tempranillo.
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Location Rioja Alavesa VIÑA REAL and CONTINO wineries:
Situated in the region of Rioja Alavesa, only 10 minutes away from Logroño
Ebro River: from the northwest (Rioja Alta), 445 meters above sea level, and leaving the east (Rioja Baja), 260 meters.
Climate
Protected on its northern boundary by the Sierra de Cantabria and south by the Sierra de la Demanda, the whole area benefits from the confluence of two very opposite climates such as the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, providing mild temperatures and higher annual rainfall 400 l/m2, very suitable for development of vine conditions
Soil types
The 545 hectares of vineyards that CVNE owns account for 50% of the company’s production, and are distributed between the two subregions of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, an area of calcareous clay soils, ferrous clay and alluvial soils, under the influence of the Atlantic and Mediterranean climates.
Vineyards and grape varieties
The 545 hectares of vineyards that CVNE owns account for 50% of the company’s production, and are distributed between the two subregions of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, an area of calcareous clay soils, ferrous clay and alluvial soils, under the influence of the Atlantic and Mediterranean climates.
Contino: Single Estate concept
The 62 hectares of Laserna vineyards in Laguardia are protected by the hill called the Cerro de la Mesa, which gives this land a characteristic orientation and mesoclimate. The hand-cut grapes are transported along a short road to the outbuildings so as to avoid damaging their qualities.
The grape varieties that we are currently using (authorized by the Regulations of the D. O. Ca. Rioja) are:
- RED Grapes: Tempranillo• Garnacha• Graciano• Mazuelo
- WHITE Grapes: Viura• Malvasía. Garnacha white
Winery
CVNE:
The winery is composed of 22 buildings, which include the original 1879 premises, as well as the plant designed and built by the Eiffel architectural studio in 1909. This winery combines tradition, quality and innovation. In 1940 it was pioneer with the construction of the first concrete fermentation cellar in Spain. In the 80´s it was pioneer with the first vinification plant non aggressive, the use of gravity.
Viña Real:
The Viña Real winery in Laguardia, designed by French architect Philippe Mazières, is composed of three buildings. The main one is constructed with red cedar in the form of a fermenting vat. The natural light, the caves dug to store the wine and the leading-edge technology – with the use of gravity, the installation of the first vertical hopper in Spain – define this monumental work.
Contino:
Contino, the first Rioja château 1973, impelled by CVNE and the owners of the 62-hectare property located in the Rioja Alavesa. The history of the property dates from the 16th century, and is reflected in its name. The “contino” was the officer in charge of a guard corps of a hundred soldiers who protected the royal family “de contino” (continuously) from the times of the Catholic Monarchs onwards. According to the tradition, Saint Gregory, the patron saint of vineyards, passed through the lands of this same Rioja property, giving rise to the use of his figure in the logo of this winery, and to the use of his name for some of the plots now planted with vines.
Viticulture
At CVNE we have always taken care of the vine growing.We have a tema which daily revise and control what is happening in the vine.Our vines are planted both Bush vines and cordon royat systems. For all our top wines we do manual harvest.
People
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The owner:
Victor CEO and María Urrutia, 5h Generation Real de Asúa Family
Victor & Maria Urrutia are part of the fifth generation owners of CVNE. The venerable Wine Company of the North of Spain, known by its Spanish acronym, CVNE, was founded in 1879 in Haro, Rioja. To this day, it remains a family company.
When Jancis Robinson published ‘the great wine book’ in the early 1980s, only three Spanish wineries were featured: Vega Sicilia, Torres, and CVNE. Even fewer wineries were featured from Italy, or Australia, for example. How things have changed. Nowadays, it would be impossible to write about Spain without mentioning burgeoning wine regions and new wineries that produce high level wines across the board. CVNE, nevertheless, represents the living history of Spain and Rioja. Imperial and Viña Real are one of the icons of Rioja and amongst the strongest and most prestigious brands in Spain. These wines age magnificently.
CVNE has always been an innovative winery; an example of this is the startlingly original cellar designed by Eiffel in the 19th century in the company’s Haro winery. However, until recently, CVNE has been a very introverted winery, focused mainly on making wine and avoiding promotion of its wines internationally. Maria Urrutia describes his mission at CVNE as twofold. ‘my ancestors worried about one thing only: making the best possible wine. I have added another concern to this (very short) list: to make our wines known across the world’.
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The winemaker
María Larrea, Technical Director
Maria Larrea is the Technical Director of CVNE since 2006. Her relationship with these wineries began more than 20 years ago, when she joined the team of winemakers. However, her history with wine is even older, born with herself. Her family has vineyards and even make their own wine, therefore Maria grew up surrounded by the smells and tastes of what today she is an expert.
She focused her training towards the world of wine.1986 licensed as winemaker at the University of Pharmacy, Montpellier, France, making her final year project in L’Union d’Aquitaine à Cooperatives Coutras Vineyard, Bordeaux.
Currently responsible for overseeing the proper functioning of all the wineries (Cvne and Viña Real), from the work in the vineyards to the development of each of the wines (Cune, Imperial, Viña Real, Monopole and Real de Asúa) that are made in CVNE .
Maria is 4th CVNE winemaker in the more than 130 years of history of this winery.
Wines
Production:
Group: over 9 million bottles every year.
Contino: 300.000 bottles
Export: 30% total production.
Over 75 countries all around the world.
Monopole: a White Rioja
Cune Range of Wines
Imperial Wines
1920, Classic from Rioja, present in all the best wine restaurants menus. The first modern Rioja, 100 years ago. Nowadays, a classic icon.
Its name comes from a special bottling for the English market made in a bottle size “Imperial Pint’ which is approximately equivalent to half a litre.
2013: For the first time ever, a wine from Spain has claimed the top ranking in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 list of the most exciting wines of the year. “Made by one of Rioja’s most important producers, which was founded in the 19th century, the Cune Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva ”
The Vintages of CVNE Wines
Cellar door information
Visitors: + 25 thousand people every year.
Visits, tasting, wine bar, lunch, events, weddings, art…
In 2014 CVNE started a new program of annual expositions, with the focus on sculpture, in It´s century winery. The soils, the plants and the natural process are elements involved in the natural process of producing wine, as they are also in the process of art sculpture.
- – Eduardo Chillida “ El viento que no vemos”
- 2015 – Cristina Iglesias “Pozos”
- 2016 – Anthony Caro “Caro at CVNE”
Info & Booking http://www.visitascvne.com/en/
The visit consists of a guided tour around the winery, were the process of wine production is explained. The winery comprises a Wine Village composed by wine-making cellars, an impressive oak barrels ageing cellar designed by legendary Gustave Eiffel, a cemetery of historic bottles, an autonomous winery inside a great winery, Real de Asua’s cellar…
Open all year round except 1, 5, 6 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.
For all visits prior reservation is requested. English & Spanish.