History
Carlos Serres (Charles, in French) was known as the pioneer of exporting Rioja wine.
He saw in Haro a perfect place to make wine of great quality but, above all, he envisaged a new horizon for Rioja wine not considered until then: international exports.
He came from Bordeaux, where the phylloxera pest had compromised winemaking. This famous French wine consultant found in Haro the perfect terroir to make Bordeaux style wines, with a climate and terrain which reminded him of the best terroirs in Bordeaux.
A perfect place to make wines that met the quality, flavour and personality expectations of the most discerning international palates. Elegant wines with a Rioja flavour, ready to conquer; even overseas.
The international focus of Carlos Serres was the starting point of our century-old winery which started its business activities in 1896 as an export merchant.
This unique, export-focused registration was a true novelty in a region where there had been no winery registered in those terms to date.
Originally located in the Haro Station District, the Carlos Serres winery merged winemaking techniques imported from France and the taste of a terroir with character. Two unique features supported the international expansion of its wines which, in just a few years, were already present on the other side of the Atlantic.
Firmly convinced about the opportunities of Haro as Rioja Alta wine capital, Carlos Serres engaged in a profound change in the way wine was understood. This change brought about the creation of the Rioja Wine Exporters Syndicate in 1907, precursor of today’s Rioja Designation of Origin Control Board. The role of Carlos Serres as wine ageing and exporting promoter makes him one of the key personalities in Rioja’s winemaking history.
“I founded my winery in Haro so the world would discover the virtues of this land and its elegant wines” – Carlos Serres