Raventós i Blanc The founding family of the Cava industry. Set up Codorniu in 1872. The family ran Codorniu for 5 generations. Bored by the pursuit of quantity over quality, Josep Maria Raventos left Codorniu in 1982. He built a modern and award winning winery next door to his old family home, taking the family vineyards with him. The winery opened in 1986. Josep Maria died a few weeks later, whilst deep sea fishing in NZ. The company is now chaired by his son, Manuel Raventos and run by his son Josep. Pepe is the 19th generation of Raventos to grow grapes and make wine on this land and he continues to innovate. In 2008 Raventos were the first winery in Catalonia to be certified for sustainable agriculture within the vineyard.

Bodegas Ontañon Bodegas Ontanon is a family owned winery. Set up by Gabriel Perez, using vineyards owned by the family, in the 1970s. The wine making is overseen by his son and his daughter runs the company. Ontanon only produce aged wines. All Ontanon’s vineyards are in the Baja region of Rioja. It is the warmest region, so very ripe fruit. The vineyards are high, 600-700m above sea level, so some freshness inherent in grapes. This allows use of French oak as well as the traditional American oak.

Hacienda del Carche Hacienda del Carche, named after the Carche range of mountains just outside Jumilla are a new and very modern winery – 2006 was their first vintage. However, the family Guirao have been involved with wine for generations and use their own old vine Monastrell and younger plantings of indigenous and international grape varieties to produce traditional wines with a modern and recognisable twist. Despite coming from one of the hottest regions in Spain the wines are all of an acceptable alcohol level; they pack a punch but the fruit and alcohol are balanced.

Viña Diezmo/Casa Primicia Casa Primicia, run by a family called Madrid, is located in the medieval fortress town of Laguardia, in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa region, and based in the oldest building in the town. From the 15th century onwards, the Church used to collect tithes from its serfs, consisting of one tenth of the harvest, including grapes, and made wine in this building and its cellars. In 1973 Julián Madrid, whose offspring now run the firm, rescued the historic building, restored the long cellars and started to make wine once more in the stone troughs. Casa Primicia Wineries came into being.