Vega Sicilia white wine: Deiva 2024 albariño unveiled in Galicia

Tempos Vega Sicilia has presented Deiva 2024, the first Vega Sicilia white wine made in Spain: a 100% albariño from Rías Baixas, unveiled at the group's new winery in Crecente, Pontevedra. The Galician project has cost 20 million euros, according to La Región and Atlántico.

The wine will not reach the market until 2027. La Región puts the first release at about 33,000 bottles and the price at around 40 euros; the technical details published by Tapas Magazine give an exact count of 32,877 bottles at 13.5% alcohol, with an ageing potential of more than 15 years.

Of the 20 million euros, about 15 million went into the winery and 5 million into vineyard land. The building stands at O Perdigón, in the parish of Albeos, and starts production in 2027 with a capacity of 600,000 litres spread over some 40 tanks. The target is 300,000 litres a year by 2035.

A 40-euro albariño from Ribera del Duero's best-known name is a bet on the top of the market.

Where the Vega Sicilia white wine grows

The group owns 24 hectares across five estates in two subzones. In Condado do Tea it farms Palancas (8.5 hectares) and Framilo (6.5 hectares) in Vilar, Crecente, plus a plot in Valeixe, A Cañiza; in Val do Salnés it owns Caxín and Sisán. The stated aim is 50 hectares, with the Baixo Miño mentioned as a possible next area.

The 2024 grapes were picked by hand between 8 and 20 September in 12-kilo crates. Because Crecente was still under construction, the first vintage was made in a temporary facility in Nantes, Sanxenxo. It spent 18 months on its lees, 60% in stainless steel and 40% in concrete, granite and wooden foudres. Winemaker Guillermo Alvarado and viticulturist Mónica Chaves lead the Galician team; the name comes from the Deva, a river that crosses Condado do Tea.

"This first vintage is only the beginning," chief executive Pablo Álvarez said, as quoted by Atlántico, adding that for him albariño is the best white wine in Spain. A second albariño, Arnela, will follow Deiva.

A sixth winery for the Álvarez family group

The first Galician vineyards were bought in 2018. Crecente becomes the sixth winery of a group controlled by the Álvarez family since 1982, after Vega Sicilia, Alión, Pintia, Macán and Oremus in Tokaj, Hungary. Until now, the only Vega Sicilia white wine came from the Hungarian estate, where the house makes Tokaji.

Deiva arrives as Spanish producers sell less abroad: Spanish wine exports fell 7.2% in value in the 2025-2026 campaign. A 40-euro albariño from Ribera del Duero's best-known name is a bet on the top of the market, not on volume. The verdict comes in 2027, when the first bottles leave Crecente.