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- DIALOGS
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DIALOGS WITH MARIA VALLÈS
Today we’re introducing you to Maria Vallès, a woman whose own path and deep connection with her land and family home for generations, Mas Palou, have led her to embark on a unique journey of revitalization and cultural preservation.
In this interview, Maria shares the experiences, memories and projects that have marked her return to Mas Palou. From her childhood in this special place, shaped by the unique aromas and experiences that only this environment can offer, to her innovative approach to preserving traditions while fostering creativity and cultural exchange.
Maria, after years of experience abroad in various fields, what prompted you to return to Mas Palou and devote yourself to restoring the family farmhouse?
It wasn’t a rational decision at all, just an intuition that I decided to follow and that surprised everyone, especially myself. I had been studying and then working on different continents for about eight years and I think my subconscious felt satisfied for having seen so much of the world and learned from so many projects, but also ready to explore opportunities at home. It was very clear to me that I had a lot to do in Penedès. On the other hand, I had also realized that I wasn’t cut out for corporate politics and much less for climbing the ladder in a multinational and enjoying it. I’m rather introspective, I enjoy creative projects that I can manage from start to finish and with a clear impact, and I like to work face-to-face with clients.
Growing up in a place as special as this, could you share a particular memory from your childhood that you think has shaped your connection to it?
My most vivid memories are smells. When the weather starts getting nice and the genista blooms, I’m brought back to being a little girl who, at the beginning of June, felt the excitement for the village festivities that were about to take place, and every time I smell the wisteria around our pool, I’m transported back to afternoons spent swimming with my cousins. The smell of almond blossoms at the end of January is my favorite smell in the world, the smell of wet earth after rain is my second favorite (I remember collecting snails some mornings before going to school), and obviously the smell of ripe grapes during the harvest has followed me all my life. And don’t even get me started on the aromas from my mother’s kitchen, which I could write an entire book about... I’m a very meticulous and observant person – you could say somewhat obsessive – and one of the positive parts of having returned home is my continued enjoyment of witnessing the seasons year after year in the same place.
At Naguisa, we believe in the importance of innovating while maintaining our roots and traditions. How have you achieved this balance at Mas Palou, especially with projects such as the artist residency and the book club?
We’re a very small company, literally a family, and our goal is simply to be able to maintain this farmhouse, the vineyards and the Mediterranean lifestyle for many more generations. Times have changed and there are fewer and fewer places like ours, because it’s simply too expensive and difficult, and naturally many decide or are forced to sell. We strive to maintain a balance between our activities: we have vineyards and olive trees and produce wine and oil; we rent out our “masoverías,” we hold breakfasts, a few weddings a year, some company retreats, as well as artistic and cultural activities such as our art residency and wine and book club. We could do events every weekend, but it would be unsustainable: we live here and want to enjoy life too. We could do art residencies every month for our love of art, but obviously we need to make money.
Mas Palou isn’t just a place to relax, but also a cultural and artistic meeting point. How do you think these spaces contribute to the local community and the preservation of rural culture?
Access to culture has to be available everywhere, not only in Barcelona. At Mas Palou, we believe that art and culture are essential for humanity, and their contemplation and misunderstood uselessness are necessary, now more than ever. For us, it’s a pleasure to be able to offer spaces that contribute to the creation, discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions between local and foreign people.
Your natural wine project “Vinyes de Palou” is an expression of your connection with the land. What inspired you to launch this project and how would you like it to evolve in the future?
For now, Vinyes de Palou is an exploration of the family vineyards. After forty years of no winemaking, we felt the need to explore the grapes that, year after year, we grow and sell to neighboring wineries. It was a natural step born out of love for the land and for wine, which we would like to evolve into a deep understanding of our landscape and Penedès’ traditional varieties, in order to protect them and share them with all wine lovers. Wine is also culture.
Your appreciation for the land and the natural environment is very clear. Outside of Mas Palou, do you have any special place in the world that inspires you in a similar way or where you find peace and rejuvenation?
Outside of Mas Palou, I tend to be very attracted to cities, even more than to natural environments. I find peace and inspiration in metropolises like New York, Seoul, Tokyo or Hong Kong. I spent a lot of time in China and Asia in general, and it’s a continent I can’t help but return to whenever I can. It’s a combination of the obsession with food and aesthetics that I share with Asians, and the similarities in values and culture that I’ve always felt with the people of these countries.
Being part of a book and wine club, we’d like to know what book has had a significant impact on your life or way of thinking and why?
“L’avinentesa” was founded in the middle of the pandemic with my sister Anna, who leads it, when we realized that literature and wine were essential to cope with all the months of confusion and confinement. In the past, books also served as a bridge between the first guests who visited the farmhouses and us, and we especially remember the very first Harry Potter volumes that came to us through some English guests. In general, we believe that Nuccio Ordine’s “The Usefulness of the Useless” defines our perspective of culture and the way we want to live it very well.
These are Maria's favorites. Do you like them?
