Discover the winery in l'Espluga de Francolí: The Historical Heritage of Mas de la Creu since 1860
Welcome to the winerey in l’Espluga de Francolí, a hidden treasure in the Conca de Barberà that combines Catalan winemaking tradition with ecological innovation. At the Celler Mas de la Creu, located in the heart of L’Espluga de Francolí, you can explore a historic building built in 1860, which can now be visited and represents the essence of the winemaking heritage of the area. If you are looking for an authentic and sustainable Espluga de Francolí winery, this is the ideal place to live a unique experience between vineyards and history.
The History of the winery in l’Espluga de Francolí and Mas de la Creu
The Espluga de Francolí winery in Mas de la Creu has its roots in an emblematic 19th century building. Built in 1860, this historic winery has witnessed the evolution of winemaking in the Conca de Barberà. Initially built as a private winery, it allowed small farmers in the village to bring their grapes to make their own wine for private consumption. This activity was carried out for almost 40 years until, after the fateful years of phylloxera, Espluga de Francolí undertook the construction of a large cooperative winery, at which point this winery fell into disuse.
Vertical architecture: The secret of traditional manufacturing
What makes Mas de la Creu special is its structure on different levels, designed to take advantage of gravity. As you can see in the image of our interior, the logistics of the 19th century were ingenious and efficient:
- The entrance of the grapes: In the past, the harvest did not enter through the main door. The grapes were brought in through the back street, located on a higher level, facilitating direct unloading to the fermentation area.
- Fermentation in foudres and elevated vats: Once inside, the must fermented in the imposing wooden foudres and higher vats that still preside over our main room. These large oak containers are the silent witness to decades of harvests in the Conca de Barberà.
- Aging in the silence of the underground: Once fermentation was complete, the wine descended by gravity to the underground vats. These spaces excavated under the cellar floor still exist today and maintain a constant temperature and humidity, ideal conditions that still inspire us in our current production.
This winery in L’Espluga de Francolí not only preserves the original architecture of 1860, but is also a meeting and cultural point. Currently, tours and wine tastings are offered, but also throughout the year different activities are carried out such as small-scale concerts or the crime novel festival El vi fa sang, among others.
The production of our wines is no longer carried out in this winery for logistical and technological reasons, but is carried out in the Viver de Celleristes de Barberà de la Conca, an infrastructure shared between half a dozen more producers in the region, in the building of the oldest cooperative in Spain, thus maintaining the associative and cooperative fabric that has marked so much the history of Conca de Barberà wineries. This winery where we produce can also be visited if requested.