Pere Bové, president of the Cooperativa de Gandesa, has been appointed to lead the Terra Alta Designation of Origin for the next four years, marking the first time that a cooperative leader has assumed this important role in the DO. This new appointment highlights the growing recognition of the importance of cooperatives in the wine landscape.
Bové, a staunch believer in the power of cooperatives and their crucial role in the history and present of viticulture in the territory, sees this choice as a positive step. “The cooperatives represent thousands of farmers in the territory and an important part of the wine history of the territory,” he says. It is important to note that some of the cooperatives in the region have a longer history than the appellation of origin itself.
The new president is convinced that the presence of cooperatives in the DO Terra Alta is excellent news. “We, as cooperatives, know the strength that represents the fact of going all together and that is what we must do, all the wineries, large and small”, says Bové. In addition, he points out that this is a path that must continue the work done so far to promote its excellent products throughout the world.
In a gesture of gratitude, Bové has thanked the outgoing board members, and especially the president Joan Arrufí, for the work carried out over these years and the support they have given to the new members.
The next period under Bové’s leadership seems to be promising, with the commitment to continue betting on the quality and promotion of wines from the region and its land. “It is something that we have been doing for years at the Cooperativa de Gandesa and at the rest of the wineries and we believe that the DO should help amplify this effort”, explains Bové.
According to Bové, the quality of the DO Terra Alta wines is on a par with the best wines in the world and their global recognition must continue to be promoted. It highlights the importance of the denomination of origin always being on the side of the farmers and the wineries, since greater visibility will not only imply more sales, but something even more important: better prices for the raw material, and therefore, for the work of farmers.
Bové also appreciates the work of the previous board, which focused on promoting white Garnacha as the most characteristic of its territory. The new president intends to continue in this line, helping the national and international expansion through fairs, marketing and communication campaigns.
Pere Bové Vallespí, born in 1958 in Gandesa, comes from a family of peasants. Law graduate and practicing lawyer from the College of Tortosa, he has always been linked to the field. He was a farmer until he was 28 years old, and then he combined law with agriculture. For a few years, he was a councilor for the Gandesa City Council. Since 2015, he has been president of the Gandesa Cooperative and, since 2018, a plenary member of the Reus Chamber of Commerce. With extensive experience in legal and business consulting, Bové is a leader well prepared for this new challenge.
