Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues.<\/p>\n\n
A few words about the life of our colleague Carlos Esteva.<\/p>\n\n
At the Acad\u00e9mie Internationale du Vin, we have lost a great person and a remarkable reference for great Catalan and Spanish wines.<\/p>\n\n
Carlos Esteva Grewe died on June 10, 2023 at the age of 72.\nHis health had not been good for years, and he had suffered and overcome serious illnesses. <\/p>\n\n
Carlos Esteva, born in Barcelona on June 30, 1950, had been a full member of the Acad\u00e9mie Internationale du Vin since 1994.\nHis enthusiasm and will to live were obvious.\nWho doesn’t remember his presence and commendable tenacity at the Academy’s Symposiums?\nThank you Carlos for your testimony. <\/p>\n\n
An economist by training, he began his activity in the wine world at a very young age, 26, with his mini hippie wine project in Ibiza. I’m sure these early beginnings were the catalyst for many successful wine projects and actions throughout his life. <\/p>\n\n
In 1979, he revived the family estate Can R\u00e1fols dels Caus (Avinyonet del Pened\u00e8s), a 17th-century family farm.
He was also one of the first to adapt international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Incrocio Manzoni to his terroir.
He was convinced that “exceptional wines have a discourse that goes far beyond what we are able to perceive with our eyes, nose and mouth. You have to fight for the invisible”.<\/p>\n\n
To his children, he said: “You must be warriors of life, which means always acting with your conscience and in the best possible way, always facing up to reality, which is not always easy.\nIn time, this will give you security and confidence, as well as the pleasure of living. <\/p>\n\n
To conclude, the winery team, with its director Jordi Esteva as spokesman, sent us this sentiment, which sums up much of the personality and good work of this winemaker-vigneron:<\/p>\n\n
“All of us who had the chance to get to know the more personal side of Carlos will remain marked by his immense human qualities and his forward-looking vision of life.