History Buil i Giné
Spurred by the success of the “New Priorat Forefathers” like Costers del Siurana, Xavi Buil started making wine when he was still a young man. In 1996, he associated himself with the Gratallops cooperative. 1997 was his first vintage; he launched it the year after. Viticulture was in his genes: his grandfather and his great-grandfather had vines and made their own wine, like many in the region. Xavi’s grandfather had even been elected twice President of the Falset cooperative. From the very beginning, his philosophy was very clear: make wines with local varieties, i.e. Grenache and Carignan; quality and accessible wines. Xavi never had the intention of making the best wines in Priorat. Theses wines already existed. His ambition was to make nice, honest and unpretentious wines, but with a great value for money. At Buil i Giné, the wines may not be very complex, but they are made in accordance to the region’s tradition… and they are made to be drunk. Meanwhile, Xavi had a new cellar built on the road from Gratallops to La Vilella Baixa, in association with Rueda producer Avelino Vegas, who shares his philosophy. Xavi now can also sell Avenino’s wine. Xavi’s wife Anna sells typical food products; with her brand Priorat Natur, she has revamped the traditional products of the region; together, they make a superb vermouth, following an old local recipe.