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VALLFORMOSA PARTNERS WITH OVER 400 GRAPE GROWERS<br />
VALLFORMOSA HAS MADE A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AT EVERY<br />
STAGE OF PRODUCTION<br />
markets. “Fortunately, our winery is in a good place and covers every segment,<br />
which means we can hope for significant value growth”, says Langa González.<br />
Volumes may be lower but there is no shortage of growth.<br />
VALLFORMOSA, A BODEGA WITH A MISSION<br />
Harvesting promised to be challenging with output set to be over 50% down<br />
in some blocks, but ultimately the winery picked just 15% less than expected,<br />
which is a much lower drop than the rest of the industry, points out communications<br />
director Sílvia Rodríguez Rubio. “Vallformosa is located in a part of the<br />
region [Penedès] which coped slightly better with the drought. With the exception<br />
of some grape varieties, like Chardonnay and Pinot noir, which suffered a<br />
lot this year, the other cultivars adapted better to the extreme weather conditions.<br />
Ultimately, ripening went well”.<br />
To tackle the drop in production, the winery had to buy more grapes from more<br />
growers – it partners with over 400 farmers. And to compensate for the losses,<br />
it was more than willing to increase its purchase prices to show solidarity with<br />
its partner growers. Also, adds Rodríguez Rubio, “We have now been providing<br />
farmers with solutions for adapting to climate change for the past three<br />
years”. Vallformosa has introduced “courses to educate growers about ways of<br />
pruning that are mindful of sap flows, which improves resistance to drought”,<br />
along with videos about vineyard management techniques that promote water<br />
108 WINTER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE