Owned and managed by the Domenech family, the Vallformosa winery is now in its 5th generation of wine growers. While the business has evolved since its founding in 1865, it is still very much linked to its family origins and with 3 of the 4 youngest children embracing the passion for the wine business; it stands to be carried on well into the future.
A real feature of the winery is the museum on site which displays old tools once used in the vineyards. This is the first stop for wine tourists and gives an insight into the history of these wines. In its earliest years Vallformosa produced only in bulk, it was only after the civil war they began making wine by the bottle. Seeking to preserve the company’s origins they do still produce some of this wine, however it is only 5-10% of the business.
Vallformosa have found a way to reduce wastage by selling off the sediment and stem residue from the wine grapes to be used in the production of whiskeys and other alcohols. With 12,000,000 wines produced annually, this also means a lot of bottles used. With this is mind, the winery use environmentally friendly glass for their production.
The picturesque surroundings of the winery set a beautiful scene for its visitors to enjoy and make it an ideal venue for weddings and corporate events alike. While the space has been developed to host such things with conference facilities in the new building, one of the most beautiful settings is what they call the “Dome Room”, given its name because of the charming old round ceiling. The room looks through a glass wall to the barrels of wine in the cellar and is complimented by the original 1970s lights, combining an authentic old Spanish feel with a modern sophistication.
Taking advantage of its appealing facilities, Vallformosa hosts an annual solidarity dinner “Vallformosa Fight against Cancer” and works in collaboration with the Catalan Oncology Institute Foundation. Expanding on the success of these dinners they have now also developed special edition caps for their new ranges of Cava to raise awareness for the cause.
Vallformosa have 4 Cavas amongst the 50 Great Cavas 2016 each one with a gold medal and they are as follows:
- Origen Brut Nature (97 pts)
- Col.lecció Brut Reserva (95 pts)
- Origen Brut (94 pts)
- Gala Brut Reserva (94 pts)
Registered conference delegates will have the opportunity to visit Vallformosa as part of the IWINETC Conference programme starting on 4th April at 14.15. Later at 20.00 there will be a Welcome Reception from the host and Premum Sponsors followed by a tapas evening with Cavas and wines.
