Bodegas Tradición

The lineage of Bodegas Tradición reaches back to 1650, making its wine archive one of the oldest in Spain. The original family bodega operated as Bodega CZ, J.M. Rivero, and by 1771 was supplying the British royal household. By 1887 it held the distinction of official supplier to the Spanish royal household. The bodega was sold in 1991, but Joaquín Rivero recovered and relaunched the operation in 1998, restoring both the wines and the traditions. In 2015, the company adopted its official name, Bodegas Tradición CZ.

• Wine archive dates to 1650, one of the oldest in Spain
• Supplied British royal household by 1771; Spanish royal household by 1887
• Original bodega sold in 1991, recovered and relaunched by Joaquín Rivero in 1998
• Official name Bodegas Tradición CZ adopted in 2015

Bodegas Tradición is unique in the Marco de Jerez as the only producer focused exclusively on VOS and VORS classifications. VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum) requires a minimum of 20 years aging, while VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum) demands at least 30 years. The bodega produces Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Cream, and Pedro Ximénez Sherries, alongside two styles of Brandy de Jerez: Viejo Solera Gran Reserva and Viejísimo Solera Gran Reserva. Annual production is approximately 35,000 liters of Sherry and 6,000 liters of brandy. All processes are hand-based and traditional, with minimal use of technology.

• Exclusive focus on VOS (20+ years) and VORS (30+ years) aged Sherries
• Most wines age through five criaderas; Palo Cortado uses three; Amontillado uses six
• Amontillado is a blend of wines from Jerez, El Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda
• Two Brandy de Jerez expressions: Viejo Solera Gran Reserva and Viejísimo Solera Gran Reserva

Bodegas Tradición works with the two classic Sherry grapes: Palomino Fino, the foundation of most dry Sherry styles, and Pedro Ximénez, used for the richly sweet PX expression. The bodega sits in the Santiago Quarter of Jerez de la Frontera within the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin. Soils in the area are sandy, consistent with the broader albariza and sandy soil mix found across the Marco de Jerez.

• Palomino Fino: primary grape for dry Sherry styles
• Pedro Ximénez: used for sweet PX Sherry
• Sandy soils in the Santiago Quarter of Jerez de la Frontera
• Operates within the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin

Beyond wine, Bodegas Tradición houses an exceptional art collection within its bodega walls. The Joaquín Rivero Collection contains over 300 paintings by some of Spain's most celebrated masters, including El Greco, Francisco de Goya, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Zurbarán. The collection is integrated into the bodega itself, making visits to Bodegas Tradición a rare combination of wine tasting and fine art viewing.

• Over 300 paintings displayed throughout the bodega
• Works by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, and Zurbarán
• Collection named the Joaquín Rivero Collection after the founder
• Art is integrated into the working bodega environment

One of the most distinctive aspects of Bodegas Tradición is its stock of wines that predate the company's own founding in 1998. Joaquín Rivero acquired aged Sherry from historic bodegas that had closed or ceased operations, including Domecq, Croft, and Delgado Zuleta. These acquisitions allowed the winery to immediately offer genuinely old wines at relaunch and continue to underpin the depth and complexity of current VORS releases.

• Holds wines older than the 1998 founding of the current company
• Stocks acquired from defunct historic bodegas: Domecq, Croft, and Delgado Zuleta
• Acquisitions provide the aged base wines required for VOS and VORS categories
• Wine archive on-site dates continuously to 1650