Up to three candidates are currently running (candidacies can be submitted until June 10) to preside over the DO Cava, succeeding Javier Pagés who has completed two terms. Once the 12 members of the new board are elected following yesterday’s elections, the presidency is expected to be decided on June 11. Marta Vidal made the announcement this morning, Friday, at the headquarters of the sector’s employers’ association in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the Associació d’Elaboradors de Cava (Aecava), and later presented it to the staff of her cellars based in Vilobí del Penedès and to her grape suppliers. If she obtains enough votes, she will become the first woman to preside over the DO Cava since its founding in 1972.
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At the Aecava headquarters, Pere Ventura, owner of the Sant Sadurní d’Anoia cellars that bear his name, and Marc Pagès, from Cava Pagès Entrena, in Sant Jaume Sesoliveres, also expressed this morning their openness to running for the presidency of the DO Cava, although sources from the sector state that Marta Vidal’s candidacy gathers more support.
Pere Ventura assures that “the way the DO Cava Regulatory Council is currently going, we are doomed to territorial and social decline.” Soon, at an event he will convene at the Vinseum in Vilafranca del Penedès, he will present the 14 points on which he bases his roadmap to face the present and future of the sector. For his part, Marc Pagès states that he intends to “recover the sector’s self-esteem, give prominence to small producers, and defend the territory.”
Marta Vidal (Puigdàlber, 1984), who at only 32 years old held the position of CEO at Vallformosa after previously working in prominent executive positions in the financial sector, presents herself as a candidate of unity and consensus, with the will to bring “fresh air” to the sector. The first executive of Vallformosa has accepted the challenge with “enthusiasm” despite the many challenges and difficulties faced by a DO Cava that has suffered a significant diaspora of prestigious wineries in recent years, joining Clàssic Penedès (DO Penedès) or the European collective brand Corpinnat.
She has decided to take the step after professionals in the sector such as Joaquim Tosas, the general director of Bodegues Sumarroca, new member of the DO Cava Regulatory Council and president of Aecava, or Damià Deàs, the former director of the Vilarnau cellars (González Byass) since October 15 last year, renounced running.
Marta Vidal, who holds a degree in Business Administration and Management, with an Executive MBA from ESADE and a PDG from IESE Business School, has accepted to lead the candidacy to preside over the DO Cava after receiving “the support and complicity” of prominent producers and the majority of the members forming the new board of the Regulatory Council.
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In a letter sent to grape growers, she explains that she wants to lead a new stage “where everyone will have a voice.” She also states that she seeks “a shared ambition, more cohesion, and a decidedly international outlook, without losing the connection to the territory nor the respect for the work of viticulture.” At the same time, she affirms that her clear objective is to “put the name of cava in the minds of all people, strengthening its positioning and prestige and contributing to increasing consumption through a strategy of value, quality, and recognition.”
She understands that “cava is not just a product, it is a territory,” and commits to “defend the value of the grape and viticulture, put people at the center, and work hand in hand so that the DO Cava advances with unity, transparency, and a shared ambition that makes us all grow.” Additionally, she wants cava to “go far with pride and authenticity.”
She defines herself as a “positive and energetic” person and is convinced that “nothing is impossible.” She says she is committed to problem-solving by bringing creative and innovative ideas. She also adds that she is interested in strategic management “to add value and create a better and easier world.” Marta Vidal explains that she is defined by attributes such as “freshness and creativity,” and assures that she “is not afraid of disruption.”
From Vallformosa cellars, the most prominent in volume in the sector with Catalan capital, she has faced the challenge of transforming its business model, which was doomed to bankruptcy, to turn it into “a professionalized, transparent business with the capacity to connect with the current consumer and respond to future challenges, combining tradition and know-how to drive them with innovation, respect, and courage.”
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