 Thus in 1894 the grape growers of Barberà founded a syndicate for collective wine production.Under the direction of Joan Espulgas (a vintner who had learned how to combat the phylloxera virus in France) the syndicate undertook the project of replanting all the vineyards in the Conca area, by grafting onto phylloxera resistant New World rootstock.Success ensued and in 1903 the first cooperative winery in Spain was built in the town of Barberà.