Following the acquisition of Vega SiciliaVega Siciliaby the Álvarez family in 1982, Alión marked the beginning of the expansion of this legendary producer in Ribera del Duero. Barely 15 kilometres away from its parent company, the idea behind Alión was to make a modern ribera with less extended aging times, in line with many of the new reds that were successfully shaping the image of the region at the time. In fact, the launch of Alión meant the disappearance of Valbuena 3º Año which used to be released three years after the harvest date.
Alión borrows the name from an area in León where the Álvarez family patriarch was born. The first vintage to reach the market, 1991, was made at Vega Sicilia but from 1993 the wine had its own facilities following the acquisition and refurbishment of Bodegas Liceo. The winery was revamped again in 2001 to introduce fermentation wood vats in line with Vega Sicilia’s winemaking style.
From the very beginning the idea was to produce a single, widely available red. Production stands around 300,000 bottles and its retail price ranges from €80 to €85 in Spain. Alión is a 100% Tempranillo aged in new French oak. The winery owns 60Ha but also sources grapes from 70Ha grown by Vega Sicilia and several local growers.
