Madrid, 21 March 2020. Mr. Carlos Falcó and Fernández de Cordova, marquis of Griñón, passed away this Friday. Mr. Falcó leaves behind him a professional life dedicated to excellency through his wines and olive oils and through the first Spanish association of the cultural and creative industries, Círculo Fortuny, which he chaired since its creation in 2011
Born in Sevilla as a member of one of Spain’s oldest historical lineages, he obtained his degree as agricultural engineer at the Leuven University (Belgium) and thereafter graduated at the California University (Davis). Mr. Falcó promoted the modernisation of wine-growing and the creation of high quality wines. His vineyards at Dominio de Valdepusa, located in the province of Toledo, were pioneers due to the then unusual type of grapes used and the application of state of the art technologies. His vineyards at Dominio de Valdepusa, located in the province of Toledo, were pioneers due to the then unusual type of grapes used and the application of state of the art technologies.
By 2003, Dominio de Valdepusa became the first Spanish and European origin name granted to a single . With Mr. Falco’s vision and dedication, the brand soon became a reference in the international high-end gastronomic sector. With Mr. Falco’s vision and dedication, the brand soon became a reference in the international high-end gastronomic sector.
Passion and commitment in achieving the highest quality for his products, placed Mr. Carlos Falcó as a main figure of the excellency sector in Spain and beyond our frontiers, becoming an ambassador of the best Spanish values and traditions. His name and his brand have always been associated to that artisan work which results in an outstanding quality. Thus, in 2011, he was appointed Círculo Fortuny president, the main association gathering the Spanish high-end brands as well as the most prestigious cultural institutions.
Since then, with generosity, compromise and passion, Mr. Carlos Falcó worked relentlessly to bring together the great high-end Spanish brands. He promoted their internationalisation allying with the most relevant worldwide luxury associations such as the French Comité Colbert, the Italian Fondazione Altagamma, the British Walpole British Luxury and the German Meisterkreis. During 2018 and 2019 he successfully chaired the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance (ECCIA) where the named associations as well Fortuny are members. During this presidency, an international top event namedThe European Excellence Summit was held in Spain; he also achieved that, for the first time, the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit took place in Madrid and a relevant report on the contribution of the cultural and creative sectors to the European economy was launched at the European Parliament last January.
Círculo Fortuny and the excellency sector will always be grateful to Mr. Carlos Falcó for his outstanding contribution, being the motor and architect of the acknowledgement of such an industry’s relevance in Spain. We shall always remember him for his personal standing, generosity, tireless working capacity, commitment and joie de vivre.