2023-08-05 11:41:58
The wine grower Xavier Gramonavice president of the century-old sparkling wine brand Gramona and one of the promoters of the Corpinnat brand, died this Friday at the age of 63, according to sources in the wine sector. According to various reports, the businessman has died as a result of complications resulting from a fall that occurred last week at his winery in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia.
Together with his cousin Jaume, winemaker and president of the company, has led the fifth generation of the Gramonas. In February 2022 -a year later than expected due to the pandemic- they celebrated 100 years of his house as sparkling wine makers at an event at the Palau de la Música. Although his lineage has been winegrowers for more than 140 years.
The Gramona winery began to gain its fame and prestige right at the end of the Second World War, when they took the opportunity to sell all the cava that they had to store during the civil war. Its sparkling wines were used to toast the victory of the allies.
Following this trajectory, Xavier Gramona opted, together with Jaume, for long aging and for the sustainability. Now they were in the background and much of the day-to-day management had been transferred, foresightedly, to the sixth generation of Gramona: Lleonard (Xavier’s son) and Roc (Jaume’s).
Xavier Gramona had grown up knowing the family tradition in the vineyards of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (Alt Penedès). However, he began working in the business and financial sector outside of Gramona until, at the age of 35, he began to get involved in the company who bears his last name.
From Gramona, Xavier was one of the protagonists of the ‘cava war’, which between 2017 and 2018 caused a schism between the great Catalan wine houses. Then nine wineries promoted the Corpinnat brand, since they did not see with good eyes that the denomination of origin ‘cava’ could frame the sparkling wines made outside the Penedès, and they separated from the giants quail y ash tree. Then they created their own DO and limited it to 46 municipalities, from the south of Llobregat to Baix Penedès.
Condolences from Aragonès
The influence of Xavier Gramona reached the ears of the newspaper ‘The New York Times’, which spoke of his winery as one of those responsible for charting a before and after in the world of cava. The specialized magazine Wine & Spirits named Xavier and Jaume ambassadors of Spanish cava. This Saturday, the President of the Generalitat, Peter Aragonés, has expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Xavier Gramona through a Twitter message. Aragonès has defined the deceased as “a referent of the wine sector and a tireless entrepreneur”.
My condolences to the family and friends of Xavier Gramona, a reference in the wine sector and tireless entrepreneur. Rest in peace. https://t.co/ynX1znQwMA
— Pere Aragonès and Garcia ???? (@perearagones) August 4, 2023
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The director of the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine of the Generalitat (Incavi), Alba Balcells, has also highlighted on social networks that Gramona had values, elegance, human quality and talent, “demonstrating that a family business in our country can be a great company”, he has written. He has concluded that his imprint will “live on.”
Gramona was also vice president of the Fundació Catalunya Cultura. In a tweet, the organization was dismayed by the death of “who has been an example of generosity and commitment” with the entity. The foundation was created in 2014 to promote collaboration between the business and cultural sectors, with the aim of creating instruments that promote the culturetalent and creativity.
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