The Vinari Awards recognize a life dedicated to wine, to the Terra Alta region, and to doing things differently.
The Maria Rosa Juncosa Municipal Auditorium in Vilafranca del Penedès hosted the fourteenth edition of the Vinari Awards on October 2, one of the great annual events for the Catalan wine sector.
It was a very special night for Celler Piñol, as Josefina Piñol received the 2026 Euroselecció Career Achievement Award in the World of Wine, a recognition of decades of hard work, drive, and vision.
A woman ahead of her time
To speak of Josefina Piñol is to speak of an essential part of the history of Celler Piñol.
In the mid-nineties, when bulk wine sales still predominated in Terra Alta, Josefina chose a different path: producing quality wines, bottling them, and demonstrating the full potential of the territory. It was neither an easy nor an obvious decision at the time.
The transformation also began in the vineyard. Celler Piñol was one of the pioneering wineries in the area to separate grapes by quality and value them differently, committing to better compensation for grape growers who provided higher-quality raw materials.
To this approach to winemaking was added an early commitment to organic viticulture, to the native varieties of Terra Alta, and to a way of working that placed the origin at the center.
These were innovative decisions at a time when many of these practices were not yet common.
Drive, intuition, and conviction
Josefina's career is also the story of a woman who made her way in a male-dominated sector.
With character, business intuition, and an enormous capacity for work, she spearheaded a new chapter for the family winery without ever abandoning her roots.
What may have seemed risky at the time has ended up defining a large part of Celler Piñol's current identity: quality, innovation, respect for the land, and a desire to take the wines of Terra Alta ever further.
That is why this Vinari Award goes much further than an individual honor.
It is a recognition of a way of understanding wine and of a career that has helped to transform the winery and highlight the value of Terra Alta wines.
Congratulations, Josefina. And thank you for paving the way.
