Some places imprint themselves so deeply that they follow you through life—in the scent of rosemary carried on a breeze, in the warmth of sun-worn wood, in the quiet rhythms of nature. For Victoria Engelhorn, that place is Mas Bell-lloc, a rural enclave in the Baix Empordà region of Catalonia. “It’s a pocket of paradise that shaped who I am,” she says.
A childhood shaped by the land
Mas Bell-lloc was the Engelhorn family’s long-standing summer home, a setting that Victoria recalls not for singular moments but for a way of living. “I thought I was just wandering, playing, collecting stones,” she says. “But those summers were defining. The land and its rituals laid the foundation for what would become Brugarol.” Her memories trace a childhood integrated with nature—games with the local shepherd, barefoot walks through aromatic herbs, and the slow, tactile ritual of pressing olives. “Those small, seasonal acts didn’t seem significant at the time,” she reflects. “Looking back, they were everything.”
From family estate to agricultural vision
The family’s history in Empordà stretches back to the 1950s, when Victoria’s uncle Hans purchased Mas Bell-lloc and the nearby Mas del Vent. Years later, her father Kurt expanded the land’s potential by planting vineyards and creating gathering spaces that respected the terrain.
That philosophy of working with the land—not on it—would become central to Brugarol, the regenerative agricultural project the family runs today.
Wine that reflects a place and a year
Brugarol’s winery produces limited-edition vintages grown exclusively from native, monovarietal grapes. Annual production never exceeds 2,000 bottles, a deliberate decision tied to the land’s natural capacity. Even the labels follow this minimalist ethos. “My father believed wine should speak for itself,” Victoria says.
Designed by the award-winning RCR Arquitectes, Celler Brugarol embodies that approach in its architecture. The winery is submerged within a hillside and built from clay, stone, and reclaimed steel—more an extension of the landscape than a structure imposed upon it.
Shepherding as ecological management
At dawn, the sound of sheep moving across the dry earth is a familiar rhythm at Brugarol. The practice is not for show but for stewardship. “Our sheep are key actors in land management,” Victoria explains. Their grazing prevents overgrowth and wildfire risk, their movement aerates the soil, and their presence supports biodiversity. The flock also supplies the farm’s dairy project, Mas Salvà, where small-batch cheeses and yogurts are produced. Because the animals’ diet shifts with the landscape, each batch varies subtly in flavor—an edible record of the terrain and season. Guided walks with the shepherd, once part of Victoria’s childhood, are now offered to guests seeking a deeper understanding of local agricultural traditions.
Reclaiming an olive-growing heritage
Olive cultivation at Brugarol dates back to the 1950s, when Hans introduced southern Spanish varieties like Arbequina and Picual to the estate. These trees brought vigor and productivity to the Catalan soil, though the farm treated olive oil as a secondary product for many years.
That changed in 2019, when a team member advocated for a renewed focus on the groves. The family began planting again—this time prioritizing Argudell, an Empordà native known for its slow, resilient growth. Nearly 2,000 trees now populate the estate, cultivated with minimal intervention and no pressure for volume. As with the wines, each olive variety is harvested and bottled separately to preserve its unique character.
A regenerative model for the future
What began as a family retreat has evolved into a multidisciplinary agricultural project centered on regeneration, ecology, and community engagement. Victoria now leads Brugarol alongside her partner Stef, expanding its mission while keeping its roots intact.
A key focus is the Muga Valley Watershed, the lifeline that connects Brugarol’s vineyards, olive groves, forests, and farmland. “Water here is more than a resource—it’s a responsibility,” Victoria says. “This watershed sustains ecosystems, villages, and traditions. Protecting it is essential to everything we do.”
A place that endures
For Victoria, Brugarol is not just an estate or a brand; it is a living ecosystem shaped by decades of family stewardship. It is also a reminder that the most enduring legacies often begin quietly—with childhood memories, with the rhythms of a landscape, with the belief that nature is not a backdrop but a partner.
