José Ángel de la Peña, "Tío Pepe"

The success story of González Byass began in 1835 with Manuel María González, who took the plunge into the world of sherry alongside his exceedingly famous Tío (uncle) Pepe, his mother's brother. González's uncle taught him all he knew about these wines, and their best-known bottles—like the one on the sign illuminating Madrid's Puerta del Sol and which are among the world's best-selling and best-known wines—still bear his name. Given the success of his company, González went into business with Robert Blake Byass, his agent in England. It was a partnership that would last until 1988 when the Byass family left the firm.

At that time, the company was in the hands of the 5th generation of the González family, whose passion for wine and its culture was always clear, leading it to incorporate wineries from all over Spain into the company, such as Bodegas Beronia (D.O.Ca. Rioja), Viñas del Vero (D.O. Somontano), Cavas Vilarnau (D.O. Cava), Finca Constancia (V.T. Castilla), Finca Moncloa (V.T. Cádiz), Beronia Verdejo (D.O. Rueda), Pazos de Lusco (D.O. Rías Baixas), and even the Chilean brand Veramonte.