Celler de Capçanes

Address: Carrer de Llaberia 43776 Capçanes (Tarragona) Spain
Telephone: +34 977 178 319
Email: cellercapcanes@cellercapcanes.com
Website: http://www.cellercapcanes.com/english.htm

Dating back to the 19th century, having suffered from the plight of phylloxera, the land was devasted, and it wasn’t until 1933 when five families pooled their resources together to create a cooperative. And like most cooperatives in Iberia, they began processing the grapes within the village and selling it off as bulk wine under the name Capçanes. But in 1995, something rather unexpected occured. A Jewish family in Barcelona requested that Capçanes make the first Kosher wine in Spain. Having agreed to do so, the winery began installing new equipment, in addition to identifying, isolating and vinifying small parcels of grapes in order to attain higher quality wine. Currently there are a handful of other wineries producing Kosher wine, but Capçanes with their Peraj Haábib, or ”Flor de Primevera”, has remained the very first winery in Spain to follow the traditional Orthodox rules. To read more about Kosher wine in Spain and our impression of the Peraj Haábib, go here.

To date, Capçanes is under the careful eye of Angel Teixido, head winemaker and viticulturist; Francesc Perello, coordinator of both bottling and tasting; and finally, Jurgen Wagner, the master blender. Capçanes grows Garnatxa Negre, Garnatxa Blanca, Syrah, Samso, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in vineyards planted anywhere from 150-450m. Soils are generally, alluvial at higher altitudes and mineral and stone at lower altitudes mixed with granite and slate. 1 million bottles are produced per year.

Currently, the cooperative has 170 members, 74 of which are farmers. Members receive a 10% discount on wines produced.

Capçanes also produces a box wine that is currently sold in the surrounding area, as well as being exported to Poland.

Enotourism

Beyond crafting Kosher wines, Capçanes is also famous for having the first enotourism project to include an airplane ride over the Serra del Montsant. Starting at the Reus Airclub, you can take a 50 minute ride + 2-3 passangers and pilot for 235 euros. Plus, you can have your trip combined with a tour of the winery and a tasting.

Other options include a 4×4 ride through the Capçanes vineyards to visit their oldest vines, ending with a wine tasting. The tour lasts 2 hours and costs 15 euros per person with a 6 person limit. This is only offered on Sat. and Sun.

Sadly we did not experience either the airplane or 4×4 ride, but if any of you have, please let us know your thoughts!

Finally, the traditional winery tour and tasting. Beginning at 12pm on Saturday and Sunday, you can take a leisurely one hour tour through the facility for 6 euros a person (20 people max).

Trains run directly to Capçanes from Barcelona. Please contact winery for more information

Wine Produced: Cabrida, Pansal del Calas, Peraj Ha’abib (Flor de Primavera), Vall del Calas, Costers del Gravet, Mas Collet Barrica, Mas Collet Blanc, Mas Donis Negre, Mas Donis Rosat and Mas Donis Blanc.

To see more photos of Capcanes, click here