New Perelada cellar: for an incredible wine experience!

The new Perelada winery was imagined and designed by the Suqué Mateu family, in collaboration with the architectural firm RCR Arquitectes, with the aim of extracting the full potential of the Empordà soils and obtaining exceptional wines.

The project symbolizes the rise and expansion of the Denominación de Origen (DO) “Empordà”, thanks to the creation of a range of wines that aspire to become internationally renowned references, with proposals that are both exclusive and experimental.

It took three years of work, an investment of more than 40 million euros and the dedication of an entire family, established in Peralada for more than a century, to bring this unique project to life in a privileged setting.

The dissemination of wine culture, closely linked to the landscape, constitutes a fundamental axis of the new cellar, which is of great wine tourism interest with, at the heart of the project, tastings, exclusive visits and a complete leisure offer. The space offers different atmospheres by emphasizing the visitor experience and offering them the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the technical and emotional process of creating wine, following the production process step by step.

From excellence to exceptional product: a turning point which allows the wines of Perelada and Empordà, one of the emerging DOs with the greatest potential, to make a name for themselves on the national and international scene.

“The new winery represents a real turning point for Perelada and for the DO Empordà. It is a major milestone in the history of this family farm, which stands out for its vision of the future and for the love it has for this land infinitely rich in nuances and landscapes,” explains Eugeni Llos, director of Perelada. […]The new cellar demonstrates our commitment to producing quality wines, and it allows us to move forward while sharing the love of our terroir in each of our bottles. »

Empordà concentrates a very wide variety of soils and landscapes in a small territory which has seen several civilizations succeed one another and cultivate the art of wine. The new cellar thus integrates 188 vinification vats of different sizes, allowing the various plots of the estate to be vinified separately, paying the greatest attention to the personality and authenticity of each wine.

The new cellar has a separate space for the most unique wines. It is in this almost mystical space, known as the “Temple” and entirely dedicated to creativity, that the cellar’s ​​signature wines are produced.

Nature and emotion, terroir and experience: these are the keys to the new architectural landscape designed by the Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes, winner of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, in Peralada.

The architectural firm designed a project guided by the desire to fully integrate into the environment and create a building that is both timeless and has a strong personality.

“From an architectural point of view, we have always imagined a cellar of timeless beauty, combining viticultural innovation and the heritage of several centuries of history. And this without losing sight of the idea that visitors can live a unique experience,” confides Javier Suqué.

Environmental integration and high energy performance in a “green cellar” unprecedented in Europe.

In 2021, the new Perelada winery was the first European winery to be certified LEED® Gold, the world's leading sustainable building certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to buildings that meet high standards of sustainability and performance in terms of construction, operation and maintenance. Among the notable elements of the project, the use of geothermal energy, the efficient consumption of water and electricity, the choice of sustainable materials and processes, thermal insulation and the predominance of natural lighting.

A tourist enclave in its own right, Perelada has established itself today as a wine tourism destination of international stature.

The new winery is located in the municipality of Peralada, a small village of just over two thousand inhabitants nestled in the heart of Empordà, which is home to a beautifully preserved 14th century castle, a monastery with a Gothic church and cloister containing a important art collection, a museum, a five-star hotel, a wine spa, a golf course and several restaurants (led by chefs Paco Pérez and Javier Martínez, disciple of the late and esteemed Xavier Sagristà). Peralada Castle, which also hosts a reference festival in Europe for dance and opera, the “Castell de Peralada” International Festival, founded by Carmen Mateu in 1987, is located just a few kilometers from major tourist attractions and natural sites such as the Cap de Creus Natural Park or the Dalí Theater-Museum in Figueres.

The visits to the new cellar have been designed with an experiential wine tourism perspective, which allows the visitor to discover the family's dream and its commitment to the territory, architecture, sustainable development, quality and wine tourism. The visit takes place through a slow and silent descent into the depths of the earth, in search of an introspective experience. The labyrinthine route through the cellar offers an immersive experience at the heart of the five estates of Perelada and the architectural and sustainable project of the RCR Arquitectes firm. The route continues along footbridges located three meters high so as not to disrupt the dynamics of the oenology teams. The experience takes on a completely mystical dimension in the Temple, where the overhead light envelops this space dedicated to excellence, creativity and oenological experimentation with a magical halo. Wine tourism activity will begin in summer 2022.

“The new cellar is made to be visited. We are keen to share this magnificent cellar with all those who, like us, love wine,” adds the general director of Perelada, Eugeni Llos. “But our goal is not to achieve high visitation figures, but to do everything we can to offer visitors a unique experience that will surprise and thrill them. »

As architect Rafael Aranda says: “The visit will not leave anyone indifferent because it is the first time that the origin of the grapes has been explained in such depth. Visitors will be immersed in different atmospheres charged with emotion and marked with respect for the different phases of the wine-making process. By entering the new cellar, they will feel all the strength and soul of this land of wines. »

The wine tour includes an original enogastronomic offer: the Celler 1923 wine bar, in the creation of which Paco Pérez collaborated, and in which visitors will have the opportunity to taste dishes inspired by the Empordà gastronomy of 1923, the year of the foundation of the winery, to accompany the wines of Perelada.

www.perelada.com