Pilar Salillas

Pilar Salillas studied viticulture at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, beginning with a foundation shaped by patience, precision, and close attention to the realities of winegrowing and production. Her career has remained deeply connected to the cellar, where the pace of work, the attention to fermentation, and the discipline of guiding wine from grape to glass have defined her professional path. She has stayed close to the material side of winemaking throughout her progression, building experience through hands-on roles before moving into leadership.

Her early experience included work as a praxis student at Nuviana Cellar Valle del Cinca in Aragon, Spain, and later as an intern at Geyser Peak in Sonoma. These formative stages were followed by winery worker roles at Celler Piñol in Terra Alta, Raimat, and Masia Bach in Penedès. Each step added to her understanding of production, from the steady tasks that keep a winery moving to the more exacting decisions that shape style and consistency.

The accumulation of that practical knowledge led her to become winemaker at Bodega Raimat, a role that marked a transition from supporting cellar work to directing it. Since 2018, Pilar has served as director and winemaker of Lagravera and as Director General and winemaker of CELLER LAGRAVERA SL. Her work in these roles reflects a career that has expanded into oversight and direction while remaining grounded in craft.

She continues to approach wine through the combined lens of production and experience, with attention not only to the cellar but also to the relationship between wine and food. That perspective adds another dimension to her work, linking technical detail with the way wine is experienced at the table. Her professional path has been cumulative rather than abrupt, built through each cellar, each season, and each role that required both technical understanding and calm attention.

The progression from student to intern, from winery worker to winemaker, and then to director and winemaker, shows a career shaped by practical knowledge and increasing responsibility. Across those stages, she has remained close to the day-to-day realities of winemaking while also taking on the broader responsibilities that come with guiding a winery’s identity. Pilar’s named wines include ONRA, Ónra Blanc 2020, Cíclic Blanc 2018, La Pell Blanc 2019, and Cíclic Tinto 2017, which reflect the range and continuity of her work across styles and vintages.

She has also won the tasting competition associated with her wine tasting course, underscoring the sensory side of her expertise and her close engagement with taste and perception.