Vintae Takes Control of Bodegas Riojanas in Court-Approved Deal

Vintae has completed its acquisition of Bodegas Riojanas, taking control of 90% of one of Rioja’s oldest wine producers after a court-approved restructuring plan cleared the deal, the Spanish wine group said.

The transaction was carried out through Vintae’s holding company and gives the group a majority position in a historic winery that will remain publicly listed, with its shares continuing to trade on the Spanish stock market, according to the company.

Vintae said the operation includes a €12 million investment by Gevisa Wine Capital following an agreement with financial institutions involved in the restructuring. The group also said it will provide Bodegas Riojanas with financing of up to €5 million to support the company’s next stage.

The acquisition expands Vintae’s footprint beyond Rioja at a time when many wine companies are looking for scale, stronger balance sheets and broader regional exposure. As part of the deal, Vintae adds Bodegas Torreduero in Toro and Bodegas Viore in Rueda to its portfolio, along with a 56% stake in a winery in Rías Baixas. That wider reach could strengthen its position across several major Spanish appellations and may be read in the drinks industry as another sign of consolidation and financial reordering in the wine business.

The move also reshapes the governance of Bodegas Riojanas. Ricardo Arambarri Pérez has been appointed chairman of the board, while Fernando Martínez Sampedro becomes chief executive officer. Isabel García Castellanos and Raúl Acha Salazar have joined the board as proprietary directors.

Richi Arambarri, Vintae’s chief executive, said the acquisition marks “another important step” in the company’s development. He said Vintae had spent recent years building projects rooted in their territories while developing a stronger business structure and commercial network, which now allows it to take on an operation of this size.

Arambarri also said Vintae intends to preserve the identity of Bodegas Riojanas while helping shape its future. He said the group was entering this new phase with respect for the winery’s history and brands.

The deal is significant because Bodegas Riojanas is one of the long-established names in Rioja, Spain’s best-known wine region abroad. A change in control at a producer of that profile is likely to draw attention from importers, distributors and investors watching how legacy wineries adapt to tighter financing conditions and changing market demand.

For Vintae, the acquisition deepens its presence in Rioja while adding assets in other important wine regions, giving it more diversification by geography and style. For the broader beverage sector, that matters because larger multi-region portfolios can offer producers more flexibility in export markets, more leverage with distribution partners and a wider range of price points at a time when many wine businesses are under pressure to improve efficiency and secure capital.

Neither company disclosed further financial terms beyond the announced investment and financing package. The completion of the transaction formalizes a process that had depended on judicial approval of the restructuring plan and places Bodegas Riojanas under new majority ownership while keeping its market listing intact.