Castillo de Perelada is a bodega founded over 80 years ago in the heart of DO Empordà-Costa Brava. Once firmly established, they extended to DO Cataluña, and now in the 21st century, are moving into DO Priorato. The group continues to grow, but always guided by the same principle: respect for a production process that ensures excellent quality standards in its wines and cavas.

Located in the top easternmost corner of Spain, where the Pyrenees roll into the Mediterranean, Perelada is a small town that serves as the centre of gravity for DO Empordà-Costa Brava. Its castle stands as the region’s historical, cultural and commercial nucleus. Built in the 14th century by the viscounts of Rocabertí, its underground wine cellars, still in use today, were used by the Carmelite friars to make wine from grapes grown in the region’s impressive vineyards. This history is comprehensively documented in the books and parchments held at the Castillo de Perelada library.

In 1923 the castle was purchased by Don Miguel Mateu, a unique character who deftly combined his skills for business, his deep political and social vocation –which lead him to hold the offices of Mayor of Barcelona and Spanish Ambassador to Paris- and an admirable sensibility for art and culture.

One of Miguel Mateu’s lifelong dreams was to revive the Empordá’s winemaking tradition, where grapes were already grown in the 5th century bc, when the early coastal settlers moved inland in search of more fertile land. Since Miguel’s time, three generations of the Suqué Mateu family have established the Perelada Group as one of Spain’s leading winemakers.

It is not surprising that these wines have earned a great many prizes at national and international competitions, starting with the three gold and two bronze medals awarded at the V Sélection Mondiale des Vins, Alcool et Liqueurs de Paris in 1967. Later came the Vinalies d'Or 99 for ‘Gran Claustro Tinto 95’ or the gold and the Golden Nose contest for ‘Gran Claustro Tinto 98’ (earning it the title of Best Wine from Spain). Recent awards include a first prize at the Challenge International du Vin 2005 (Bordeaux) with ‘Finca Garbet 2001’, a Grand Gold medal awarded to ‘Gran Claustro Tinto 2001’ at Mundus Vini 2005 (Germany), a gold medal to ‘Finca Malaveïna 2003’ at the Bacchus International Wine Contest 2006 (Spain), and first place for ‘Ex Ex 4’ at the Golden Nose 2005… In addition, the bodega’s wines and cavas are frequently served at official dinners held for visiting heads of State and government.

In the late 1970s, under Arturo Suqué’s initiative, Perelada started making pearl wine under DO Cataluña. Today, two of their wines, ‘Blanc Pescador’ and ‘Cresta Rosa’, are best sellers.