The third edition of The European Awards, organized by the Professional and Business Excellence Institute, has recognized the trajectory of the Clos Galena winery, as well as “the quality of its wines and its strong commitment to sustainability.” These awards were born with the purpose of bringing together professionals and companies from different sectors that operate at European level, promoting excellence and knowledge through teaching, research and proactive networking.
The Professional and Business Excellence Institute seeks to recognize their efforts and involvement in the European business fabric, giving professionals an incentive to continue on the hard path to success. They reward “the talent, perseverance and dedication of companies and professionals, creating relaxed environments that encourage networking.”
The owner of this El Molar winery (DO Qualified Priorat), Merche Dalmau, collected the award in the Vendôme room of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, thanking her team for their work. She wanted to dedicate the award to her daughters Cristina, Maria and Julia and also to her parents Enric and Mercè, and she excitedly stated that “this award is evidence that dreams come true.” She also stated in her speech that “today our wines are the result of the passion, effort, perseverance and constant work of a great team.” And she added that “each bottle is a way of transporting a territory, a tradition and values in a sustainable and ecological way. “Within each one of them there is a story to tell, a dream come true.” In statements to La Vanguardia's Comer channel, she expressed her satisfaction with the fact that "Priorat and our territory have been present in Paris with these prestigious awards."
Merche Dalmau took the reins of the winery after her husband, the pharmacist, winemaker and university professor from Zaragoza, Miguel Pérez, died in April 2013. They founded Clos Galena in 1999. Merche Dalmau, far from throwing in the towel, refused to sell the winery and vineyards. She decided, “out of romance”, to fight against adversity to continue her husband's dream and also maintain the Reus pharmacy that the couple ran even though her daughters, at that time, were still small. Today they have 30 hectares of vineyards and export around 70% of their production to more than thirty countries around the world.
The “reward for effort” came with the selection of their Formiga de Vellut 2014 Priorat wine for the Nobel Prize banquet held on December 10, 2017. It was the first time that a Catalan wine deserved this honor in the more than 100 years of history of the awards. Previously, the prestigious list of the North American publication The Wine Advocate, then directed by Robert Parker, awarded 96 points to the 2004 vintage of the red Clos Galena.
For next year they are already working on organizing the 25th anniversary of this Priorat winery, which has also opted for wine tourism and various charitable causes. They will release a commemorative wine. Also in 2024 they will participate in the outstanding Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Grand Tasting in London.
