Our History
123 Years of History
From a family-run Rioja Wine Cellar
to a Spanish vinters group, THE leader in quality wine
Arco Bodegas Unidas is the result of a business union between century old wine cellars, leading brands and international renowned figures from the world of wine, whose main aim is "to consolidate as one of the top ten wine producing companies in the world".
Below a description is given of some of the milestones in the history of Arco Bodegas Unidas:
1877
the date when Bodegas
Berberana, was
founded, embryo of the present Arco group, in the village of Ollauri (La
Rioja Alta), as a modest local wine cellar, property of the Martínez Berberana
family.
1975 Bodegas
Berberana starts its growth under the guiadance of the
entrepreneur Melquíades Entrena, moving to its modern wine cellar in Cenicero
and becoming sales leader of Rioja wine.
1990
Consolidation of the shareholding.
The combination of an independent investor corporation listed on the Madrid
Stock Exchange and the so-called "Rioja Group" made up of the leading
viticulture co-operatives in
La Rioja.
1993 - 2000 - The Expansion Years
|
1993 Incorporation of a new management team led by Victor Redondo Sierra. Start of its present phase of development that would make Berberana Spanish leader in quality wine.
Bodegas Marqués de Griñón were created in Rioja.
1996 - February. 100% take-over of Cavas Marqués de Monistrol, D.O. Penedés and D.O. Cava (founded in 1882 at Monistrol Dánoia, Cataluña), from Bacardí-Martini.
1998 October. Purchase of the remaining 49% of Bodegas Hispano-Argentinas from Bodegas Norton and purchase of the wine making business of the Martins wine cellar. |
1994
- February The joint-venture
agreement was signed with Carlos Falcó, Marquis of Griñón. The
distribution of the Marqués de Griñón brand was integrated into
the group ARCO Bodegas Unidas, and a 40% holding was
taken in the family company Dominio de Valdepusa S.A., owner
of the vineyards and wine cellar of Malpica de Tajo (Toledo).
1994
- October.
100% take-over of 
1996
- October.
Joint-venture with Bodegas Norton to form 
1997
March. Purchase of the Martins brands, located
in the wine-making region of Mendoza (Argentina), that had already
been distributed by 
1998
March.
Purchase of Bodegas Campo Burgo, in Alfaro - La Rioja - (D.O.
Ca. Rioja) and 1999 March. Purchase from NH-Hotels (formerly Cofir), of its holding in the group by minority shareholders, the management team and venture-capital entities (financial investors).
1999
May. Creation of Bodegas Unidas Ltd. in England. A result of
the business union of the leading wine cellars included in the Arco Group,
Marqués de Griñón, Berberana, Marqués de Monistrol, Lagunilla and Martins,
with the English distributor International Wine Services, in order to
place our wine among the international leader brands on the British market.
2.000
March. ARCO
incorporates the Principe Alfonso de Hohenlohe Bodega, El Cortijo las
Monjas in Ronda, Anda-lucia, into the group through a joint 
venture.
Arco hopes
to develop a
whole range of quality wines through the acquisition of 50% of Principe
Alfonso's wines - these will be the New Wines of Andalucia.
2.000
March. ARCO
enters Los Arribes del Duero: Under
the guidance of Carlos Falcó, Marques de Griñon, Arco discovers the Upper
Duero and acquires 30h of vines where we are building Bodegas Durius from
where quality red and white wines will be produced.
2.000 March Arco expands its capital by 5,000 million ptas with investments from several shareholders and becomes part of the Grupo Caja Duero (Duero Building Society group) with a 980 million ptas investment.
2001
May Arco is awarded 'The Best Spanish Wine Producer'
by the jury of the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2001,
London 2001.
2001
July Arco
accelerates its internationalisation and moves its head office to London.
Arco's International Division, UWI (United Wineries International), will
directly manage the group's international markets of more than 50 countries,
and will also co-ordinate the management of its international branches.
Arco has made, through UWI, direct investments in Argentina (Bodegas Hispano
Argentinas, of which they have 100% control) and in the UK (Bodegas Unidas)
in a joint venture with the British distribution group Waverley, subsidiary
of Scottish & Newcastle. In 2000 they began establishing themselves
in the United States by opening a commercial office in New York in association
with Pasternak Wine Imports (controlled by Rothschild-Lafitte and Pasternak
& Baum) and are in the process of doing the same thing in Germany
to cover all the Eastern European markets.
This internationalisation
process has as its principal objective the consolidation of a direct presence
and its own distribution in the main wine importing markets in the world
(UK, Germany, United States) where they foresee the basis of growth in
the coming years.