González Byass is one of Spain's most well-known

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

bodegas. Its origins can be traced to 1835 when it was founded by Manuel María González Angel, who was subsequently joined by his English agent, Robert Blake Byass. The business was further expanded by the second generation of the González family, amongst them Manuel Críspulo González y Soto. The González family assumed sole control of the business in 1988. The firm produces the fino sherry Tío Pepe. Not only was the González family at the forefront of sherry

winemaking Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...

, they have also participated in the introduction of the polo game in Spain, the first grass tennis court, the installation of the first electric lighting and running water in the plant, the first train project in Spain as well as numerous other industrial and cultural innovations. In 1862, when

Queen Isabel II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the success ...

visited the firm, the construction of a new bodega called La Concha was commissioned from the engineer

Gustav Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

. In 1963 they constructed the great Tío Pepe bodega, holding 28,000 butts and built on 3 floors. Another bodega was built in 1972, Las Copas, with a capacity of around 80,000 butts. In 1998 the Byass family withdrew from the company. The company is now owned and run by the 4th and 5th generation of the González family, such as

Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez, Marquis of Bonanza (18 October 1923 – 27 September 2013) was a Spanish sherry maker and a conservationist. Most of his life he worked for the family company, González Byass, where he increased its exports ...

. In 2004, González Byass joined forces with Grupo Vips and opened 8 Tio Pepe restaurants in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, but they were closed in 2011 due to the crisis. In 2008 the company acquired the well-known

Viñas del Vero Viñas is a municipality located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 259 inhabitants. Town hall Viñas is home to the town hall of 4 village A ...

wineries. The famous

sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the w ...

-wearing, guitar-toting bottle became the classic image of the Tio Pepe brand in 1935. The famous neon sign in

Puerta del Sol The Puerta del Sol (English: "Gate of the Sun") is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the centre ('' Km 0'') of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clo ...

in Madrid caused a bit of a stir when

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

bought the building and decided that the sign should be removed from the roof (probably to replace it with the Apple logo). The bodega has found another rooftop in the same Puerta del Sol once again and the sign has been reinstalled after renovations. The used barrels from this renowned sherry producer are used by Scotch Whisky producers during the maturation of the premium spirits. Dalmore distillery use 30-year-old barrels in their 18-year-old single malt.

Awards

In 2010, González Byass was awarded as Winemaker of the year in the

International Wine and Spirit Competition The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969 by the German/British oenologist Anton Massel. Each year the competition receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide. The awards given by ...

. In 2014 was awarded the "Best Visitor Centre" in the Drinks International Wine Tourism Awards In 2020 was awarded "Best Family in Wini" in the international awards 'Excellence in Wine and Spirits'.

References

External links

Official websiteIntroduction on SherryNotes
Wineries of Spain Companies established in 1835 1835 establishments in Spain {{wine-stub