Empordàlia: The Cooperative Winery Transforming Lives Through Solidarity Enotourism

The Alt Empordà cooperative, based in Pau and Vilajuïga, uses wine and gastronomy as tools for social transformation.

Generic image of a wine glass and a bottle in a cellar, symbolizing enotourism and solidarity.
IA

Generic image of a wine glass and a bottle in a cellar, symbolizing enotourism and solidarity.

The cooperative winery Empordàlia, located in Pau and Vilajuïga (Alt Empordà), promotes solidarity enotourism by collaborating with organizations like We Love Uganda to ensure the right to education since 2022.

Empordàlia, the result of the union of small farmers in the Empordà region who have worked the land for generations, has established itself as a benchmark in valuing local products, such as its wines and Oli de Pau. Its manager, Simon Casanovas, emphasizes that the cooperative's fundamental values are the territory and its people.

"Solidarity strengthens the bond with the public and provides a deeper meaning to the enotourism experience. Solidarity is part of 21st-century enotourism."

Simon Casanovas · Empordàlia Manager
Involvement in social causes is key for the cooperative, which considers education a universal right and a tool for progress. Therefore, in addition to We Love Uganda, it also supports initiatives by the Fundació Arrels, Sant Joan de Déu, and AREDI (research into type 1 diabetes), aiming to help guarantee basic rights such as health and housing.
This solidarity focus has received significant recognition, both from the public and sector entities, including the Vinari Awards 2023, 2024, and 2025, which have honored their actions. Chef Toni Gerez, a leading figure in gastronomy and wine, has also joined these experiences, contributing his sensitivity and generosity to make wine a tool for social transformation.