Rooted in Soil, Led by Trust: The Story of Recaredo

This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

The roots of that shift stretch back to 2006, when Recaredo began applying biodynamic methods in its vineyards. Over time, this approach reshaped not only how they farmed but how they thought about people. “We started with the soil,” said general coordinator Ferran Junoy, “but eventually realised that the same respect we apply to nature neededto guide how we work together.”

That insight led to a transformation of the company’s organisational model. In 2021, Recaredo stepped away from traditional management and reorganised into eight autonomous teams.

Each team now takes responsibility for its own area, from the vineyards to production, sales, administration, andenology, making decisions through regular coordination forums. The role of leadership has shifted from control tofacilitation. As Ferran put it, “My job is to help teams stay aligned, not to give instructions.”

The family remains actively involved in strategy and representation but has deliberately stepped back from day-to-daydecisions. This was not in response to crisis or conflict. It was a conscious decision to entrust the next chapter of the business to the people working closest to it. “It was the family who first said: we want to try another way,” Ferran recalled. “That gesture of trust made everything else possible.”

Not everyone adapted easily. Some colleagues found the absence of hierarchy disorienting and chose to leave. Others discovered new energy in having more say over their time and tasks.

With no formal training before the shift, the team learned through experience, testing ideas, adjusting structures, andgradually developing internal practices that worked for them. Financial information is shared transparently, and a percentage of profits is distributed collectively when earnings exceed a certain threshold. This system, like the rest, is open to revision based on team input.

The culture that has emerged from this transition aligns naturally with the principles of RenDanHeYi. Recaredo has embraced decentralised decision-making, made operating and financial data visible to all teams, and encouragedeach team to lead its own work as a service to internal and external customers. Responsibility is no longer concentrated at the top but distributed across people who are closest to the work and to the product. Every team understands its role in delivering value, not just for the company, but for the territory it depends on.

That sense of place is more than a philosophy. It is present in every step of Recaredo’s winemaking. All grapes are harvested by hand from estate-owned vineyards in the Penedès, then fermented with native yeasts developed from those same plots. The second fermentation uses concentrated grape must rather than cane sugar, and all bottles age for a minimum of 30 months. Riddling and disgorgement are done manually, preserving artisanal methods that most of the industry has long abandoned.

These choices reflect a clear commitment to prioritise integrity and craftsmanship over convenience. Manual processes require more labour, more time, and come with higher costs. Yet at Recaredo, these methods are not seen as compromises but as deliberate investments in value creation. The team’s dedication to long ageing, natural fermentation, and traditional techniques mirrors the same principles that guide their organisational structure:decentralisation, accountability, and a shared responsibility for excellence. Just as each team member is trusted to lead their work, each step in the cellar is handled with care that reflects both individual expertise and collective purpose.

That philosophy informs every decision. The winery maintains long-term environmental partnerships, including a batconservation project, butterfly monitoring to track climate changes, and the use of horse-drawn ploughing to protect fragile soils. Honey is harvested from hives placed among the vines. The winemaking process uses only indigenous yeasts cultivated from their own fields, after two decades of research in partnership with universities.

In 2015 and 2016, a severe drought forced the company to rethink its production model. For decades, Recaredo had relied solely on its own vineyards. But climate volatility made it clear that diversification was necessary. Rather thanturn to anonymous suppliers, they launched two new projects, Celler Credo and Subtil, working closely with local grapegrowers who share their values. These partnerships are based on trust and shared purpose. Farmers are paid above-market rates and supported in implementing biodynamic practices.

This deep interdependence between land and people, product and process, family and team is what now defines Recaredo. In a sector where consolidation and automation are often framed as the only paths forward, the winery has taken a different route. It is not trying to scale up or extract more from less. It is trying to stay true to what matters andto involve everyone in doing so.

As Recaredo looks ahead to its second century, its path will likely continue to evolve. But if the last few years are anyguide, that evolution will not be imposed from the top. It will emerge from the collective work of those who walk the rows, bottle the vintages, and meet regularly to ask what needs to change and how to do it together.

Ferran put it simply: “The most important thing isn’t a model or a method. It’s having the will to listen and to act on what you hear.”