Europe’s largest winery to produce sparkling

Félix Solís Avantis is planning to release a range of sparkling rosé from central Spain.

Speaking to the drinks business last month, export and marketing director for the company, Félix Solís Ramos (left) said that the group has installed equipment for sparkling wine production at its Valdepeñas operation, which is Europe’s largest winery.

The winery now has 15 bottling lines which can fill 140,000 units each hour, as well as a newly enlarged warehouse holding 43,000 pallets of wine, up from 25,000.

The company also has an 80 million litre capacity winery in La Mancha, as well as four smaller wineries in northern Spain under its Pagos del Rey umbrella, which covers wine regions Ribera de Duero, Rueda, Rioja and Toro.

And Mr Solís expressed a desire for further expansion. “We need a cava to complete the circle,” he told db.

He also said he would consider a vineyard and cellar outside Spain. “I’d like to start something in Chile because I feel there is a similar philosophy,” he remarked.

Click here for a full interview with Mr Solís, including news on the company’s operations in the Far East; innovations in packaging, and thoughts on ingredient labelling in wine.