Manuel María González, advised by his uncle Don José Angel (the "Uncle Joe" from whom the famous Tio Pepe takes its name), invested all of his savings in establishing his own company 175 years ago in Jerez de la Frontera. The business remains in the hands of the fifth, sixth, and seventh generations of the family. Business began in 1835 with the purchase of ten barrels that were sent out to England. Manuel María promptly came into contact with the Byass family, who became shareholders in the company and contributed to its expansion in the UK. Even in those early days, González Byass had already begun to focus heavily on export. The founder of González Byass based his life around his passion for wine and constancy, which he applied to his business and which continues to guide the company today. Remaining true its innovative spirit, the winery created CIDIMA (Quality, Research, Development, Innovation, and Environment), the first private oenological research center, in 1955. Just over 30 years ago González Byass began expanding into other wine-growing regions to expand its portfolio of quality wines. Today the company prides itself on having one of the strongest winemaking teams in Europe, owning more than 4.446 acres of vineyards and six wineries, which represent the fabulous diversity of winemaking in Spain.