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Since December, Vega Sicilia has occupied the top position in the "Power 100 - Ranking" of the international wine trading platform Liv-ex, making it the most valuable wine brand in the world. The annual price development, turnover, the number of bottles traded and the average price are assessed. A few days later, Alexander Lupersböck spoke to director Pablo Alvarez at the "Arlberg Weinberg" event about his pioneering role in organic viticulture, the importance of vineyards and the danger of becoming too famous.

For Pablo Alvarez, the vineyards are Vega Sicilia's greatest strength

Tempos Vega Sicilia

You have been responsible for Vega Sicilia since 1985. What has changed since then?

Pablo Alvarez: My father bought Bodegas Vega Sicilia in 1982, when the wine was already very famous in Spain. We hadn't been in the wine business before and I didn't know much about it back then. But perhaps that was an advantage. Some of the people I hired - the managing director and the sales manager - didn't come from the wine industry either. They brought a new perspective, and I think that's important. Wine has been constantly changing and evolving over the last 40 years and it is necessary to adapt and improve. At that time, a change in viticulture began in Spain. Step by step, everything changed, especially in the vineyard. We began to work organically, even though hardly anyone was talking about biodynamics at the time.

Did you have any role models?

Pablo Alvarez: In 1985, I visited Lalou Bize-Leroy and she told me about biodynamics. When she explained the concept of the buried cow horn to me, I couldn't believe it at first. I didn't understand it at first. At the time, nobody was talking about climate change, biodynamics, organic farming or sustainability either. But I always thought that respect for the vineyard was more important than the wine itself, because the personality of the wine ultimately comes from the vineyard. That's why we started to work in the same way.

You were a pioneer in this respect.

Pablo Alvarez: Yes, we were among the first in Spain and the whole of Europe. For me, biodynamics is more than a technique. Part of it is philosophy, another part is technique. But in the end it's about balance. At Vega Sicilia we have certain advantages because of our climate. It's not like Bordeaux or Burgundy. We have less rain. Peronospora is rare and we can combat oidium with biological agents. We haven't used chemical fertilisers for 37 or 38 years. We worked organically, but didn't talk about it. Back then, many people didn't understand what we were doing. They thought it was risky.

The harvest takes place up to 14 days earlier than in the 1980s

Tempos Vega Sicilia

Do you work organically on all your vineyards?

Pablo Alvarez: No. Vega Sicilia is certified organic. Our vineyards in Toro and León are not yet, because we still buy grapes from other producers there. In our new project in Rías Baixas in Galicia, certification is impossible because we had 2,000 litres of rain there from November to June. Without treatments against mildew, we wouldn't be able to harvest any grapes there.

What has changed in Ribera del Duero as a result of climate change?

Pablo Alvarez: Fortunately, our vineyards have a certain advantage due to their altitude, but that is not enough. We keep a very close eye on how the climate is changing and adapt our work in the vineyard accordingly. Today, the harvest takes place ten to 14 days earlier than in the 1980s.

How do you react to this?

Pablo Alvarez: One important point is soil care. Healthy soil can compensate for a lot - it stores water better, protects the vines from extreme temperatures and allows the grapes to develop more stably. Another aspect is choosing the right time for the harvest. Sometimes we have to harvest earlier to preserve the freshness and acidity of the grapes. And, of course, selection in the vineyard also plays a major role. I often say that Robert Parker was one of the reasons for the changes, because he favoured wines with more ripeness and intensity. As a result, the production methods were adapted and ripening began a little earlier.

Vega Sicilia is now the most valuable wine brand in the world on Liv-ex. How important is something like that to you?

Pablo Alvarez: We are delighted, of course. But I don't want our wines to become objects of speculation and no longer be drunk, as has sometimes happened with French wines. That was an unhealthy development.

Vega Sicilia is the most valuable wine brand in the world.

Tempos Vega Sicilia

What mistakes were made there?

Pablo Alvarez: I have great admiration for France. But I think it's very dangerous if you become too famous, too expensive and are perceived too much as the ultimate. If you rely too much on your reputation and forget to develop further, problems arise. In Bordeaux, there were also problems with wine quality. In the last ten years, especially with the Chinese market, prices have literally exploded. The wines have become pure objects of speculation. I am therefore delighted with this award because it confirms that Vega Sicilia's price-performance ratio is very good and that people want to drink our wines.

What criteria do you use to decide when to launch Unico on the market?

Pablo Alvarez: The Unico matures for at least ten years at our winery, in the past even longer. Flavours have changed over the last few decades. People used to like wines with more evolution, today they prefer fresher wines. Nevertheless, our wines age surprisingly well and remain youthful even after 30 or 40 years. We only market the wine when we believe it is ready to drink. We hold back around 10,000 bottles of Unico so that we can release them after around 20 years of perfect ageing conditions. But we control the price so that it doesn't become an object of speculation.

Has the style changed as a result?

Pablo Alvarez: No. We have made adjustments because it is necessary to define what the Vega style is. To do this, we have moved part of the ageing process from the barrel to the bottle. For the Unico, it is four to five years out of ten, while the Valbuena remains in the bottle for two years before release. Our wines should stand for elegance and complexity.

What is the average age of the vines at Vega Sicilia?

Pablo Alvarez: Around 35 years.

The vines at Vega Sicilia are on average 35 years old.

Tempos Vega Sicilia

That's not particularly old.

Pablo Alvarez: It's a myth that older vines make better wines. For me, the vine is like us humans. We are no fitter at 100 than we are at 50 or 70. It depends on where the vineyard is and how you look after it. Under good conditions, it can live longer than in other regions. In France, people don't talk about a vineyard being 100 years old. In Bordeaux, they usually renew the vineyards after 40 years. In Burgundy, that's impossible because they might have 1,000 vines and replace each one individually. But in Spain they like to talk about very old vineyards.

What is Vega Sicilia's greatest strength?

Pablo Alvarez: For me, it's our vineyards. They lie between 700 and 900 metres above sea level. Our vines are perfectly adapted to the different soils and climates. Since the company was founded in 1864, we have always selected and replanted our own vines. For me, Vega Sicilia represents elegance and complexity. That comes from our terroir. Jesús Anadón, who was our general director and oenologist for 40 years, once said: "I don't know exactly what it is, but something happens here that makes the wines different." And he meant the vineyards.

You once said that you wanted to retire at the age of 70. Now you've turned 70. What does the future hold?

Pablo Alvarez: I would like to have someone from the family as my successor, because it is important to ensure the continuity and philosophy of Vega Sicilia. But there is also the option of appointing someone from outside the family. In any case, certain decisions have to be made by the family. Vega Sicilia is not just a wine, but a responsibility. It should still stand for quality, elegance and uniqueness in 50 or 100 years' time. The next generation must understand that it is not just about producing wine, but about preserving this heritage. The opportunity lies in continuing to produce some of the best wines in the world while reaching new markets and new wine lovers who may never have heard of Vega Sicilia.

What does success mean to you personally?

Pablo Alvarez: Winemaking is not a business for quick wins. It requires time, dedication and, above all, respect - respect for the land, for the vines and for the people who will drink the wine. Every great wine tells a story - and every story is unique. Success also means that our wines are drunk, that people enjoy them and experience special moments with them. Because in the end, that is the true meaning of wine: to bring people together and bring joy.

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