In 1991, Lluís Vives i Solé's grandfather was recognized by President Pujol "for his leading role in technological advancements in the vineyard sector." Today, the Catalan government no longer awards this distinction to those who work the land and protect the landscape. His son, Enric Vives, and his wife, Aïda Conesa, are oenologists, having graduated from the Rovira i Virgili University. Thirty years ago, they decided to establish Cavas Vives Ambròs in Montferri. Together, they maintain the legacy of a farming family with over 500 years of history in the Alt Camp region, and now the sixth generation has joined them. David Vives has set aside his computer career to cultivate vineyards. It's common to see him working on a 1979 John Deere tractor, but also skillfully communicating on Instagram. The cellars are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, and it seems that, nestled near the church and just a few meters from the modernist Sanctuary of Montserrat, they are navigating the crisis looming over the wine industry. They will expand the facilities to store the increasingly longer aging processes for their Cava, as well as the shop to offer better wine tourism services. "At Vives Ambròs, 99% is vineyards, and we sell 90% of our production in the shop," explains Enric Vives. They are a rare elderlyThey don't have distributors. "Word of mouth and the quality-price-pleasure ratio of our wines and cavas work for us," he adds. Specialized critics and international competitions have also been kind to them; 71 gold medals and 40 silver medals.

The founding family and the former honorary president of the Freixenet cava producer, José Luis Bonet, have agreed to sell their remaining stake in the company to the German group Henkell, which will thus control all of the capital, as Freixenet itself announced in a statement on Tuesday. "After eight years of close cooperation, the Ferrer family and José Luis Bonet have sold the remaining shares of Freixenet by mutual agreement to Henkell Freixenet, which will thus become the sole owner of Freixenet as of March 2, 2026," the statement reads. The price of the transaction has not been disclosed. Henkell acquired a stake in the cava producer Based in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Alt Penedès), Henkell Freixenet acquired 50.7% of the shares from various branches of the Ferrer family, descendants of the winery's founders, for approximately €220 million. Since then, the company has been led by Andreas Brokemper as co-CEO alongside Pere Ferrer, who will now become honorary chairman of the company, a position previously held by Bonet, to whom he is a first cousin. "The sale of our shares marks an emotional moment for us. As two family businesses that share the same values, we have found in Henkell Freixenet a trusted partner who will preserve our legacy while leading the company into the future," Ferrer stated in the press release. The businessman will remain involved in the wine sector through his personal company, Ferrer Wines.

When we uncork a sparkling wine with a DO CAVA, we not only ensure quality but also traceability and origin, guaranteed thanks to all the rigorous controls associated with a Designation of Origin. We also help keep alive a culture, a landscape, a heritage that has taken shape over the century and a half of Cava's living history.

The wine world gathered on Friday night at the Casal Theater in Vilafranca del Penedès to attend the 13th edition of the Vinari Awards, the Catalan wine competition. This event awards silver, gold, and grand gold medals in various categories, as well as special prizes, such as Best Wine of 2025, which this year went to Gran Murallas from the Torres family, and Best Sparkling Wine, which went to Corpinnat Maria Bernet from the Júlia Ber winery. We review each of the awards.

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