A wine village in the Penedès
The perfect village for wine tourism in Catalonia
The history of Finca Viladellops dates back to 930 alongside that of the castle of Olèrdola, with its perfectly preserved medieval tower, which signified the beginning of the creation of the wine-making village that carries its name: Viladellops.
Rooted in our history, the cultural heritage of the estate is a testament to the strength of the village as a whole, leading to a project in which tradition, land and wine play a leading role.
The winery has been making wine since 1877, following traditional methods still today, undergoing a modernization process in the nineties, when it opted for the production of quality wines with a Mediterranean essence. This new project introduced the indigenous grape varieties to Finca Viladellops as the basis of its wines to convey the authenticity and love of the area: Grenache and Xarel·lo. Since then, we have continued to uphold the family tradition of wine production and of love for our 100% Mediterranean land.
Finca Viladellops is the reflection of a wine village with antiquity, family authenticity and history.
Wine-making village of cultural interest
There are several points of cultural interest around Finca Viladellops linked to our estate that help to understand moments in our history. You can learn about our family history through the years at the head of Finca Viladellops and its winery. If you like monuments, within our vineyards you will find an 11th century medieval tower, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, and the chapel of Sant Joan, a Romanesque chapel restored by the family in 1950.
Currently, the village is made up of 18 farmhouses (typical tourist accommodation in the area) that give the village the same atmosphere as it did 100 years ago, since the architecture and environment have been completely preserved.
Space describing the family’s history and that of Catalonia based on documented texts, images and photographs from the Desvalls Archive. A pioneering cultural project, based on a public and private collaboration, which promotes documentary heritage in its regional context, in this case the county of Alt Penedès.
The documentary collection of the Desvalls Family Archive spans from 981 to 1983. It consists of 4,529 scrolls, 289 archive boxes with manuscripts and paper documentation, 554 images (172 glass plates, 377 b/w positives and 5 colour positives) and 203 plans and drawings on cloth, parchment, paper and wax paper.
Chapel with a rectangular nave restored in 1950 by the owners. Built in a Romanesque style dating from the 13th century. On the west facade is a door with a rounded archway and double splay porthole. It has a bell gable. The Baroque sacristy was added later to the facade. The now ancient altar, with holes for relics, has been placed outside with a stone foot and mass is held there when there are too many people to fit inside.
In 1951, the bell was christened Margarida by Marcelo Desvalls’ grandfather, in honour of his wife.
Inside one of the farmhouses that make up Finca Viladellops, is a building declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest. The tower is round and built with irregular ashlars arranged in horizontal rows. The place is first mentioned in the year 976, in a donation of land located within the grounds of the Castle of Olèrdola. The height to the first floor, from the outside, is approximately 7 metres. The construction is made up of irregular stones and inside you can see an “opus spicatum” or ear of wheat, the type of construction used in Roman and medieval times.
The building attached to the west of the tower is believed to have been a prison by some, and the old chapel of Saint John by others. It is 4.5 metres long and 180 cm high.
An authentic family-owned project
The Desvalls family, owners of Finca Viladellops, made wine in the traditional way until 1980, but from 1999, the new generation of the family opted for a modern wine-making process. This gave rise to a very authentic 100% Mediterranean project through the use of the most indigenous and local grape varieties: Grenache and Xarel·lo.
Since the very beginning, the Desvalls family has had deep roots in the land and has taken care of it to maintain the indigenous landscape. The current generation follows the same philosophy and maintains the tradition. Focused always on sustainability during the wine-making process to achieve wines with a 100% Mediterranean character.
Marcelo Desvalls, the current owner, is the architect of this new era for Finca Viladellops, transforming it into a sentimental project into which he pours all his efforts.
As he himself explains:
“I was born among vineyards, and my childhood was connected to the land. I would like, and I hope, to be able to leave a legacy and pass the baton on to the next generation. From the beginning I have passionately sought to respect the landscape and, along with the whole team, produce quality wines that express the magic of the Garraf Massif”.
