Bodega Alvear - Montilla-Moriles 'Oloroso Asuncion' NV

The Alvear family has its roots in the mountains of Burgos, dating back to the early 16th century. After relocating from Rioja to Montilla, just south of Cordoba, in the late 17th century, Juan Bautista García de Alvear y Garnica married a Cordobese noblewoman, and several years later, the couple had their first son, Diego de Alvear y Escalera, the founder of Bodegas Alvear in 1729. Over the course of the following decades, Diego and his son Santiago became some of the largest landholders in the city, and the bodega began exporting to England in the late 19th century. One of Diego's most famous heirs was Diego de Alvear y Ponce de León, who combined his winemaking career with a successful military and political career, establishing the family's political roots in Argentina. Alvear is Spain's oldest continuously operated family-owned winery and the oldest winery in Andalucía, making them the oldest company for the production of vinos generosos or "sherry style" wines in Spain. The famil