Vinicola de Gandesa
The Gil family began its viticultural activity in Horta de Sant Joan during the firsthalf of the 19th century and has constantly developed and grown since then.
In 1842 Ramon Gil bought some rustic plots of land which he turned into vineyards and where he built the first winery. His son Antonio Gil continued his viticultural work and winemaking increasing the business by buying grapes locally and building a still that made the typical brandies of the area.
Rodrigo Gil, the third generation, was a pioneer in the installation of modern winemaking equipment. He began to buy grapes from towns further away.
Elias Gil, the current generation, transferred in 1993 this activity to a new winery equipped with all the facilities required to make modern style wines for a new market of high quality consumers.
La Vinicola de Gandesa is set in the “highlands” of Catalunya above the river Ebro, just 150 miles south of Barcelona. It is a dramatically wild mountainous landscape of southern Catalunya. Here only vines, almonds, olives and cherries manage to survive the harsh and arid climate.
Many of the vines are situated around the old small town of Horta de Sant Joan, home of the Knights Templar. They are low-yielding vines (9.000 kilos per hectare) grown on clay soil with some chalk and stoney content. They are situated at 400 metres above sea level, with 2.800 hours of annual sunshine and just 350-500 mm of annual rainfall.
Nowadays, this family business has a production capacity of 12 million kilos per year and has a vintage wine cellar with capacity for more than 6.000 oak barrels for the aging of red wines, being able to sell wines under three apellations: DO Terra Alta, DO Tarragona and DO Catalunya.
Source: http://www.lavinicoladegandesa.com/en/vinicola-gandea-wine-terra-alta
[…] VINICOLA DE GANDESA […]