Bodegas Yzaguirre reveals (almost) all its secrets
The Reus vermouth producer opens new facilities and organizes guided tours.
The MorellBodegas Yzaguirre opens its doors to anyone interested in visiting its new facilities. The building, designed by Carbonell Figueras, is located in Morell (Tarragonès) and is a large, Gaudi-inspired structure with wooden materials, seeking the best possible balance between tradition and modernity. The building is tall and generous, but visitors' gaze (and nose) are drawn to the ground floor, to the 4,000 square meters of the ground floor, where dozens of barrels (some 100 years old) mature the vermouth that will soon be sold.
Despite the building's exaggerated dimensions, the wood that forms the structure and the pleasant aroma emanating from the barrels filled with vermouth and aromatic herbs manage to convey a strong sense of warmth. The decoration of the space is the work of Carme Salla Solé, who, along with her brothers Jordi and Josep, is one of the owners of the company. "We want visitors to experience the aromatic richness, texture, and flavor of each of our creations and understand the artisanal process and the history behind each bottle," explains Carme Salla.
The guided tour of the winery, the Yzaguirre Experience, begins with an explanation of the origins of this brand, founded in Reus in 1884. It is currently the second-largest vermouth seller in Spain, behind Martini, which tops the list. The Reus-based company sells 4.5 million liters of vermouth each year in 58 countries across Europe, Asia, America, Africa, and Oceania. Among many other unique features, the production of this vermouth stands out. kosher and also the wine of Mass, which is widely sold in some African countries. The tour also includes a tasting of five of the vermouths produced by the house. It's a wooden pharmacist's cabinet full of drawers where you can observe and smell some of the 80 spices used to make black vermouth. Yzaguirre doesn't reveal anything during the tour.
Bodegas Yzaguirre was founded 141 years ago, and with this new offering, they're making their debut in the world of wine tourism.
