Cava Semi Seco “Festival” – Castillo Perelada

In the village of Peralada in Catalunya, North-East Spain, Miguel Mateu, former mayor of Barcelona and avid art and culture lover, bought Castillo Perelada in 1923. Not only did this medieval castle become Miguel’s personal cultural centre where he built up an enormous art collection, the castle also turned out to have a long tradition of wine culture: old wine cellars were discovered under the castle, where – according to old documents in the castle library – wine had been made by the Carmelites since the fourteenth century. It was Miguel’s great dream to restore this centuries-old tradition, and so he started making wine at Perelada.

When he died in 1972, Miguel’s dream was continued by his son-in-law Arturo Suqué, who, with a rigorous focus on quality, led Perelada to undergo an enormous transformation. The day-to-day management is now in the hands of Arturo’s son Javier, and Perelada can count itself among the most prestigious wine producers in Empordà, if not in the whole of Spain.