Chivite

Chivite is the name of a renowned wine-making family in Navarra, which goes back 11 generations to 1647, with documental evidence of vineyard and wine cellar ownership, probably making this the oldest wine-producing dynasty in Spain. Back in 1860, when the phylloxera plague was blighting the French wine industry, the family embarked upon a trade route to northern Europe to meet increased demand, and later made their home an inn en route to Madrid, extending the reach of their wines. In the 20th Century, pioneering Julián Chivite Marco introduced improvements in wine-making procedures and was also a founding member of the Navarra Regulatory Council in 1967.

Over the past thirty years further landmarks have ensued. In 1985 the Colección 125 range was introduced to mark the 125th anniversary of the first exported wines. Acquisitions of land were made, including Propiedad de Arínzano in northern Navarra in 1988, Bodegas Gran Feudo and Viña Salceda in Rioja in 1998, with other purchases in the Ribera del Duero and Rueda regions. Spain's highest classification level, Vino de Pago, was awarded to the Señorío de Arínzano vineyard in 2007, the first in the north. Expansion into other regions has brought about some restructuring within the company more recently, resulting in brand differentiation.

Modern-day Chivite can count on a state of the art winery, designed by famous architect Rafael Moneo, and an estate of 120 hectares of vineyards set in Tierra Estella, lying on the hillsides of Granja de Legardeta in the municipality of Villatuerta.