Garriguella is a village of 800 inhabitants located in the region of Alt Empordà, at the north-east of the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Lying at the bottom of a valley, the village is surrounded by the mountains of Les Alberes, the outermost part of the Pyrenees, which set the limits with France, the Gulf of Roses and the hillock Torre de la Mala Veïna. |
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The village has an arid soil, swept by the dry, northern wind ‘Tramuntana’ and gathers an average annual rainfall of 600 litres. Mild winters of scarce frosts and warm summers cooled down by the sea breeze benefit the vines and olive trees.
The vines were introduced to Catalonia through the country’s most important Greek colony, Empúries, a town which eventually gave the name to the |
region of Alt Empordà, approximately in the 6th century BC.
During the Middle Ages, vines grew free around the monasteries. On the slopes of the Rodes mountain these vineyards formed terraces which were property of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. The monasteries of Sant Quirze de Colera and Santa Maria de Vilabertran owned as well their own vineyards
In 1879 the plague of phylloxera coming from France first infected a vineyard in Rabós d’Empordà, but it quickly spread out ruining completely Catalonia and Spain. Lots of people saw no alternative than to emigrate to America.
Nowadays the region of Alt Empordà counts a surface of approximately 5023 acres of vineyard, the largest part of it –an extension of around 989 acres- is located in the territory of Garriguella, with our agricultural cooperative producing wine from 541 acres of vineyard:
AIMS:
• Our agricultural cooperative initiates the third millennium with an essential change in mind regarding its wine production strategy. That is, intending that our wines enter the world best markets in the most competitive way without leaving aside our basic purpose, which is producing high quality grapes.
• To achieve this goal we rely on favourable comparative data, such as our extension of vineyards, the largest in Alt Empordà, with 70% of vines surpassing 50 years old, producing an average amount of 2.5 kg of grapes per vine. Equally important is that the grape selection begins in the hands of our employees and continues in our cellars, where we apply the ultimate techniques of fermentation.
• As a recognition to our work, the guide ‘Guía Peñín’ of Spanish Wines 2008 has included 5 of our wines in the ‘best purchases’ section, enabling us, among other benefits, to treble the sales.
Our hope is that people share with us our philosophy through our wine
During the Middle Ages, vines grew free around the monasteries. On the slopes of the Rodes mountain these vineyards formed terraces which were property of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. The monasteries of Sant Quirze de Colera and Santa Maria de Vilabertran owned as well their own vineyards
In 1879 the plague of phylloxera coming from France first infected a vineyard in Rabós d’Empordà, but it quickly spread out ruining completely Catalonia and Spain. Lots of people saw no alternative than to emigrate to America.
Nowadays the region of Alt Empordà counts a surface of approximately 5023 acres of vineyard, the largest part of it –an extension of around 989 acres- is located in the territory of Garriguella, with our agricultural cooperative producing wine from 541 acres of vineyard:
AIMS:
• Our agricultural cooperative initiates the third millennium with an essential change in mind regarding its wine production strategy. That is, intending that our wines enter the world best markets in the most competitive way without leaving aside our basic purpose, which is producing high quality grapes.
• To achieve this goal we rely on favourable comparative data, such as our extension of vineyards, the largest in Alt Empordà, with 70% of vines surpassing 50 years old, producing an average amount of 2.5 kg of grapes per vine. Equally important is that the grape selection begins in the hands of our employees and continues in our cellars, where we apply the ultimate techniques of fermentation.
• As a recognition to our work, the guide ‘Guía Peñín’ of Spanish Wines 2008 has included 5 of our wines in the ‘best purchases’ section, enabling us, among other benefits, to treble the sales.
Our hope is that people share with us our philosophy through our wine