The Past
The origins of Bodegas Alcardet go back to the 1960s when 3 viticulturists decided to set up a private winery called INAVIAL to work the grapes from their vineyard and improve their marketing. Afterwards, around 1972, a group of 248 farmers came together with this same philosophy, increased the winery's capacity and founded the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Cooperative.
It was not easy in the early days, but, with time, the winery consolidated its position and the farmers were very happy brining it their grapes. At that time, the varieties used were basically indigenous grapes such as Airén, Garnacha, Cencibel and Tempranillo. Since then, other foreign varieties have been added, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Verdejo, which have been perfectly adapted to the conditions in our region.
The Present
The winery now has more than 600 partners who grow more than 4,000 Has of vineyards. The vineyards are mainly located within the municipal boundaries of Alcardete at an altitude of 780m above sea level. The river Gigüela flows through the area, creating a microclimate that has an extraordinarily favourable effect on vine cultivation. Added to limy soil poor in organic materials, this enables the production of quality wines recognised both nationally and internationally.
The Future
Since its foundation, the winery has not stopped evolving. At the beginning of the 1980s, it was one of the first wineries to opt for the production of controlled fermentation white wines using the airén grape variety; highly prized wines for bottling and as the basis for sparkling wines.
In more recent years, beyond new varieties, the winery has opted for the production of sparkling wines and has created, along with other wineries in the area, a brand of outstanding quality called CUEVA as Villanueva de Alcardete was the first town in the region to produce sparkling wines following the traditional Champagne method. Our sparkling wines under the brand ALCARDET are opening a gap in the market, competing on quality with the best Spanish and international sparkling wines.
Another of the winery's bets for the future is the production of organic wines, which are very much in demand on the international market, and which have won the support of many our partners in the area, which have clearly opted for this type of agriculture.