EL PROGRESO is the oldest Wine Cooperative in Spain with uninterrupted activity since its inception. It was established on March 3, 1917, by a small group of farmers concerned about the lack of equal opportunities to grow and sell their fruits. It was organized as an Agricultural Union at the time, and it acted as a dignified outlet for some farmers who were sometimes bound hand and foot when it came to having a reasonable price for their labor.
The Cooperative’s founding members increased in size, and the Cooperative’s results improved. After 50 years of service, EL PROGRESO underwent a significant transformation in 1967, transforming it into one of the largest companies of the time: the merger with two other Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Villarrubia (La Manchega and La Labradora ).
After nearly a century of hard work, EL PROGRESO are starting in the same spirit. Many things have changed for the better in order to make the industry one of the most modern and productive in the world, but one thing has remained constant over time : the passion for the land and its fruits, for our people, and a job well done, inherited from our ancestors.
Very recently, Bodegas EL PROGRESO has joined JAPAN Awards 2021 and won a 2 GOLD Medal award and a SILVER Medal Award in this prestigious competition:
MEDIANILES ECOLOGICO AIREN – AIREN / VDLT – 2020
Awarded Gold by Business News Japan
MEDIANILES ECOLOGICO TINTO ROBLE – TEMPRANILLO / VDLT – 2019
Awarded Gold by Business News Japan
JIJONES SELECCION – SYRAH+MERLOT+CABERNET SAUVIGNON / D.O. LA MANCHA – NON VINTAGE
Awarded Silver by Business News Japan
Interview of Mr. Jesus Julian Casanova – President of the Winery
Question 1: Do you already export to JAPAN ? If yes, where ? If no, what type of importers & distributors are you looking for in JAPAN ?
We have an importer in Yokohama, they have a cozy wine-bar named “VaLe” on the riverside and you may find JIJONES SELECCION there to have a try. The both Organic wines are imported by SERIUSE Company in Aichi.
Question 2: What is the most unique and qualitative part of your products, different from competitors ?
The products from Bodegas EL PROGRESO have an extraordinary cost performance ratio, with the practically ecological product profile due to the climate, terrior and our way of elaboration.
We have a very dry climate, but optimal for the development of the vine, together with our geological situation, that we are in the foothills of the mountains called Montes de Toledo and very close to a natural wetland called Las Tablas de Daimiel.
This makes that the use of phytosanitary products would be minimal, that in the area where it rains a lot, you have to deal with many chemical products and very often, which is not the case here. Meanwhile, being close to the mountains and the wetland, we have the unique soils that provide different aromas that can be detected in all varieties of our wines, especially in red wines.
Besides of the terrior condition, we have a wide range of products that goes from the most classic to the most innovative, from the 0.25 canned to the 20L Bag in Box, through a 0.75L and 1.5L bottles of many varieties and types of wine.
We care about people, not just the employees’ work for the winery, also our society; we help in everything we could to the areas’ development and in the investigation of diseases, for example of joining project of breast cancer. A part of our profits go to actions and donations of humanitarian and non-profit organizations.
Question 3: When did you start to export your brand worldwide, and what is your development plan for the next years ?
The internalization project in EL PROGRESO can be said to have started strongly in 2010. It was then that a good professional export team was created and we started to export to Asia, then to the US and of course to a large number of European countries.
Our plan consists of provide more and better support to our current clients, trying to expand their product portfolio, since we have a wide variety, and trying to expand our brands and products in the countries where we are already located.
Currently, we can say that our commercial level has 4 legs, with 4 differentiated areas: national (Spain), USA, Europe and Asia. We will grow step by step in each of the markets with consistent working, humility and proper service.
For more information about Bodegas EL PROGRESO please visit their website : https://www.bodegaselprogreso.com/
