About us
El Molí is an 18C paper and olive mill situated in Torrelles de Foix on the south west foothills of the Penedès wine region Now a quiet backwater, this was the highway of the medieval age, an important trade and pilgrim route to the Cistercian monestaries of Santes Creus and Poblet, resting place of the Catalan kings.
El Moli is an impressivey solid 3 storey structure, that had been abandoned for 25 years, squatted, cleared and bricked-up. To be mild, el Molí was a mega fixerupper. The locals called it L'antic quartel de la guardia civil or Civil Police Barracks and this made it very unpopular with prospective buyers. Too big, too old, too much work and a tainted history, it was the house nobody wanted, the only one we could afford and we loved it. It was the house with "lots of possibilities" and lots of work, how could we resist?
El Moli is more than our home, it is a vital historical building and a natural point of discovery of the Penedès Region and Southern Catalunya.
Paddy Mannion, el Molí, DO Penedes, (that's him above)
Great wine is nothing without good company, good hospitality, and that, naturally, involves good food too. Irishman Paddy Mannion has spent thirty years learning about all three, in the course of a career as restaurant and hospitality manager and sommelier in Dublin Ireland, Aachen Holland, Köln Germany, San Francisco, Barcelona and Penedès. Happily settled in the D.O. Penedès just south of Barcelona, he is today an acknowledged authority on the people and wines from Penedes to Priorat, and a guide to enjoying all that is best about Southern Catalunya.
Stefan Lismond, DOQ Priorat
Stefan Lismond lives in Priorat, probably the most historic "new" red wine region in Spain. When he is not working on wine exports for small local producers or giving visitors a incredible wine tour he is preparing another wonderful food and wine experience. Stefan is a pioneer of Tourism is Penedes and a veteran of hospitality having run Can Festis, his own rural hotel, restaurant and cultural centre in Penedès. The Festís lives on in his Cava (Winner of the 2006 Rotary Club award) and anytime he takes care of a group of our visitors.
Stefan "Festis" Lismond the winner, one of our disgracefully successful guides
Life is too short to drink bad wine
El Molí Tours is committed to discovering new wines and wine-makers, small wineries, wonderful gastronomy and charming historic corners of Southern Catalunya. We expose small producers to new clients and bring our grain of sand to the sustainable development of enotourism in our region. Our tours, like good wines, offer a balance between tradition and innovation, passion and expertise, food and wine, people and real wine country.
El Moliteers, Doc 911 Martin, Stefan Festis Lismond, and Felix the Castle
Cheers and all the best
The El Molí Team