As we’ve boasted on many an occasion, the Penedes is an unlimited geyser of native grapes. From our beloved Xarel.lo, a white chameleon grape capable of displaying intense tropical fruit and mineral aromas, to Samso, a vivacious and precocious  red grape, the Penedes is a multifaceted palette of flavors. Yet, despite our undying support for this treasure trove of gorgeous fruit, it’s uncommon to find a winery equally dedicated to preserving its native resources.

Over the years, wineries have eagerly ripped up their perfectly disorganized vineyards, chock full of native grapes, to plant internationally renowned grapes. Though varieties such as Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Gewurztraminer have crafted some impressive wines of both personality and quality in Spain, it must also be said that part of what makes Spanish wine unique is their plethora of auctonomous grapes. So when you find a few wineries willing to not only preserve their native grapes, but also work to bring back ancient ones, you can’t help but raise a glass in appreciation.

One such winery is situated in the ruggedly quaint town of Les Gunyoles in Avinyonet del Penedès, located approximately 2 hours southwest of Barcelona. Founded in 2006 by four young, enthusiastic viticulture and enology students, who gained invaluable wine making experience in Burgundy, Mas Candi has carved out a reputation for dedicating itself to both land and grape preservation.

According to viticulturalist, Toni Carbo, a young, sincere looking fellow with ruffled brown hair and killer smile, dedication to the land is what makes their wines not only unique, but expressive.

“We are committed to finding the natural expression of each grape. We want the grape to show the herbs that grow wild at the foot of each vine, the minerals that infuse the earth, the cool winds that sweep past their leaves and the fruit that make each and every grape unique. And because we adore these vines like children, as vinitculture is a laborious act of love, we choose not to use chemicals when simple natural solutions can easily remedy any imbalance.”

Like many wineries in Europe – choosing to go green by devoting their enthusiasm to nature – Mas Candi is a little different in that their passion to ecology has been fueled in large from their inheritance – a large plot of vines that were passed down from their ancestors. Hence, they choose to avoid chemical fertilizers and shun antifungal treatments or pesticides in their vineyards. Instead, they prop Mother Nature on their shoulders by motivating the natural ground cover to blanket the soils, and use the brightly colored grape leaves that delicately fall to the ground in a natural compost along with any additional vegetal waste. If the planets and stars align, and no malicious little bugger has usurped their natural remedies, they will have naturally motivated their vines to grow vigorously and prosperously.

Of equal interest is the fact that Mas Candi is diligently trying to bring back to life a wide range of traditional Catalan auctonomous grapes such as: Mandó, Monica, Cannonnau and Roigenc. Now, you may be familiar with one of these grapes from Jay Miller’s healthy score of the 2004 Celler del Roure Maduresa, a wine that was blended with Mandó, but very few producers in Spain have reinvigorated this grape. The varietal Monica and Cannonnau have garnered popularity in Sardinia, but again, not in Spain, while Roigenc has seen little to no press; hence I’m clueless about its use or origins. If someone has more information on this grape, do tell.

We tasted through their entire range of wines, both while nibbling upon Fuet on their veranda overlooking a swatch of vineyards, and while dining at an extraordinary restaurant for lunch (more on this later). Mas Candi produces 7 wines of which 4 are whites, 2 are reds and 1 is a brut nature cava. Of particular interest to me was their 2009 Mas Candi QX. The “QX” is meant to express the wines creation from 4 different parcels of Xarel.lo (Quatro Xarel.los) in 4 different vineyards (located in Les Gunyoles, Font-Rubí, el Pla del Penedès and Subirats) and aged in 4 types of oak (Chestnut, French, American and Acacia – also known as a Thorntree and primarily native to Africa, South America and Australia). Having tasted the 2009 QX, as well as 2 of the 4 wines aged in their respective barrels, the difference was incredible. The wine aged in the acacia barrel should a considerable amount of hazelnut, mineral and lemon flavors with an ample amount of acidity, while the wine aged in the medium toasted French oak showed bolder flavors of smoke, honey and spices. And when the individual notes came together to build a full, harmonious orchestra, the wine showed ripe cantaloupe and reduced lemon aromas over a base of honeysuckle and mineral. In short, a fabulous little wine.

If you have a chance to get your hands on any of their wines, it’s worth your while. Feel free to email Mas Candi in English with any questions regarding either availability and/or distribution. And if you just happen to be their neck of the woods, just south of Barcelona, don’t hesitate to give them a ring and request a visit. Capable of speaking in more than one language, I trust your visit will be very well spent!

Cheers,

Gabriella Opaz

Mas Candí
Ramón Jané Garriga
08793 Ctra. de les Gunyoles, s/n
Catalunya/Spain
Tel. (+ 34) 680 76 52 75
       (+ 34) 636 62 15 10
info@mascandi.com

Related posts:

• Regional Profile – DO Penedès
• Harvesting the Priorat: Picking Pedro Ximenez Grapes
• An Ode To Xarel.lo: The Spicy White Mistress of Spanish Grapes
• Icewine in the Penedes: The First Electrically Defined Wine
• Harvesting in the Priorat 2009: Wine Tourists, Wine Festivals and Grape Picking

<rant>Twitter this past two days has been flooded with news that the Penedes region of Spain has approved a new DO for the category of Icewine. Reporting in Decanter Magazine, David Furer states:

In Penedes grapes are frozen in a cold room, refrigerator, or with dry ice. Freezing on the vines is allowed, but in practice seldom takes place. Sugar additions are forbidden.

The harvested grapes – Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Malvasia de Sitges, Moscatel de Grano Menudo, Moscatel de Alejandría, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and/or Merlot – must have a minimum of 240 grams per litre of sugar.

The final wine must contain 70-150g/l residual sugar and an alcohol content of 9.5-13.5%. Currently there are no rules stipulating altitude or soil type.

Everyone seems amazed that this is going on and that it is news. Yawn. We’ve been drinking Gramona’s ‘icewine’ for many years here at Catavino HQ. Being fans of the stickies, it is a nice, well made sweet wine from down the road; one that was always a bit quirky and something to show off to friends and family when they were in town, or even to bring as a gift, the obligatory conversation piece for the wine geeks.

Regardless they have been making it for a long time. Here watch this video to see how they fake the icewine process:

Anyways my point is this. First up it’s not really icewine, and even if you call it icewine, it’s a freakshow, and something that beyond getting the fruit right with enough sugars, anyone can make. It’s a quirky wine that like Mistela, or some random sparkling red wine experiment that we occasionally run into here in Spain. It’s a wine that gives a winery personality. However, this is NOT is a reason to create a whole new layer of bureaucracy to dump more producer money into when they have enough trouble as it is marketing and selling their wines.

Spain is in CRISIS! Yes it’s true, a serious CRISIS! Banks own more vineyards today in Spain than most care to admit, and it’s not getting better. And I’m willing to bet that much of this year’s harvest is going to be left to hang on the vines, rotting away as more and more wineries are incapable of paying their harvest dues.

Spain, listen up. Stop trying to create more problems by wasting money on new DO’s. DO Vino Dulce de Hielo will NEVER be a top wine style/brand in the greater wine world. I enjoy the few examples that exist, but in a country that is getting warmer every year, and were producers are looking for higher ground to plant their vines due to climate change, do we really need a new wine category that requires electricity just to produce it? Maybe we should call this new DO: DO Vino de Electricidad? It is the first wine I know that cannot be made without the power outlet.</rant>

Ryan Opaz

<discuss>

Related posts:

• Regional Profile – DO Penedès
• A Couple of Wine Notes – Montau de Sadurní
• 2004 Gramona Riesling Penedès VI DE GEL
• 2003 Gramona Penedès Vi de Gel
• 2005 Miguel Torres S.A. Penedès Waltraud

A few days ago, we mentioned that we were attending the II International Conference on Organic Viticulture, Sustainability and Climate Change (EcoSostenibleWine 2010) being held just south of Barcelona in Vilafranca de Penedes. The aim of the conference was to disseminate information on the latest technology in sustainability, organic procedures, and means to reduce the advance of climate change among winemakers and viticulturalists alike. Over the course of 2 days, of which we attended 1, over 40 speakers from around the world fought, with a few exceptions, to convince the 480 participants that the earth was our responsibility and that there were simple and effective ways reduce your impact, increase your production and foster and new way of thinking.

What constitutes a “new” way of thinking?

For me, I walked away feeling as if the speakers who really nailed it were individuals who spoke within their niche of expertise without killing you with flashy presentations or diving head first into the minutia of percentages displayed in a series of grafts and pie charts merging into a technicolor smorgasbord of lines. No, these individual spoke of the big picture, emphasizing that sustainability may begin in the vineyards, but it ends with your moment to moment decisions.

According to the Dictionary of Sustainable Management, sustainability is defined as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Or as I like to say, “how your actions today will effect future generations when you’re fertilizing daisies (if they’re any left) underground”. However, we live in a digital world, and in this world, attention span is less than the life of a fruit fly, and desires are fulfilled in a blink of an eye; thus, it’s quite difficult for many of us to wrap our brains around “future consequences” when everything around us is screaming “the future is now”. Future to us means a second, a day, or God forbid, a week; but the concept of decades or centuries is unfathomable.

“In the near future, agriculture will compete with grapes. Major investments will be poured into land for agriculture and grapes will be struggle for space”, foreshadowed by Dr. Hans Schultz, Professor of Viticulture at The Geisenheim Research Institute in Germany.

His statement should be a warning to us that we need to pay attention, to prepare for a changing future of higher temperatures, intense storms and little water. We need to remain conscious of what we put in the land, how we use and reuse water, the effects of rising temperatures on vineyards, the ways in which we conserve energy in the winery, and most importantly, what we do in our everyday lives. And if you’re looking for a glowing example of the majority of elements touched upon by every single speaker we listened to on that beautiful Tuesday morning, look no further than the UC Davis LEEDS Platinum Winery.

“Fine wines are the result of an intricate mix of environmental and processing factors”, said wine chemist Andrew Waterhouse, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology and the Marvin Sands endowed chair in viticulture and enology. “If we are to better understand how environmental factors, such as sunlight levels in the vineyard, impact the subtle aspects of wine quality, we need to be able to very precisely control the winemaking process. The new winery will equip us to do just that.”

LEEDS stands for Leadership, Energy, Environment and Design. The 12,500-square-foot winery is supported entirely by private, philanthropic donations and anticipating its first vintage this year. It will become a benchmark in sustainable winery technology by utilizing innovative techniques such as, rainwater collected and stored to irrigate landscape and flush toilets, recycled glass in flooring and carbon dioxide from fermentations will be sequestered on site in the future.

So we’re a bit more knowledgeable about what it means to be sustainable in the winery, but what about the vineyard? According the Dr. Hans Schultz, wineries need to adapt to climate change by investigating alternative varieties. Although this may be problematic for the reputation of your region, potentially renown for certain grapes, flexibility is key to success. Additionally, these varieties should be disease tolerant. Hans spoke at length about the ample amount of clones currently available on the market that show very similar characteristics as classical varieties but that are considerably more resistant against disease.

However, a huge round of applause goes out to Hans Peter Schmidt, one of the most dynamic and interesting speakers of the conference who presented a small black vial filled with soil at the beginning of his speech and said, “a year ago, this was charcoal”.

Hans presented a entirely new concept to me called, biochar. From my understanding, biochar differs carbon in that its primary use is not for fuel, but rather biosequestration. It takes carbon out of the air and places it into the soil, where it has the potential to make soil fertile. But that’s not all, Biochar traps nitrogen and water due to its porous nature, which allows viticulturists to use less water and fertilizer. If mixed with compost and minerals, it becomes supercharged! It can also improve water quality, reduce soil emissions of green house gases, reduce leaching of nutrients and reduce soil acidity. Therefore, biochar could be considered the “magic potion” for sustainability. Read more about Hans and his use of biochar on his vineyards here.

So what was the overall message I took from this conference? In short, there are no surefire answers to stopping climate change, but there are several effective tools that wineries can experiment with today to become more sustainable on an environmental, social and economical level.

Below, check out our interview with Alice Feiring at the Eco Sostenible Wine 2010 Conference, as she both exposes the hypocrisy in using the term sustainable carte blanche and gives the limelight to Iberian wineries who are doing it right.

If you would like more information on climate change and wine, check out the following articles we did at the 2008 Climate Change and Wine Conference:

Do you Think Wineries Should Focus on Adaptation, Rather than Prevention? Interview with Richard Smart and Miguel Torres
How do you Teach Old World Winemakers New Tricks
Pancho Campo Poses a Question for Al Gore on Wine and Market Choices
II International Conference on Climate Change and Wine Wrap-Up
Live from the Conference on Global Climate Change and the World of Wine

Cheers,

Gabriella Opaz

Alice Feiring on Iberian Organic Wines from Ryan and Gabriella Opaz on Vimeo.

Related posts:

• Interview with Pancho Campo
• Interview with Miguel Torres
• Spanish Wineries are a No Show at the Climate Change and Wine Conference
• Interview with Bruno Prats – Former Owner of Chateau Cos D'Estournel
• Pancho Campo Poses a Question for Al Gore on Wine and Market Choices

Quite often, we receive requests from people visiting Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon or Oporto, as to which wineries they can visit by train, taxi or foot. Our responses have commonly been, “Good question! And to be quite honest, I don’t know!” Well, maybe Oporto is the exception, as you have a plethora you can get to, but the rest are rather iffy at best.

As mentioned in several articles on Catavino, enotourism in Iberia is rather primitive at best. Very few wineries even allow visits, less have someone speaking anything other than their regional language, and just a handful will actually go out of their way to make your transportation to their winery convenient and easy.

That said, we decided to do a considerable amount of research to find out which wineries are worth your time visiting while in Barcelona. Of those wineries suggested, I called each and every one to inquire if you can get there by train, and what services they offered. And to be frank, this process was as enjoyable as poking myself in the eye with a rusty nail.

Example Conversation: (in Spanish because the first 10 wineries didn’t understand me in English)

Winery: Yes

Me: Hi, I was wondering if you have visits to your winery

Winery: Who are you?

Me: Um, just someone who wants to visit

Winery: Yeah, but where are you from and why do you want to visit?

Me: Um, because I like your wine and I think it would be interesting to come see you. I’m American.

Winery: Oh, okay. Sure we have visits.

Me: Great, how much do they cost?

Winery:  We would have to analyze the group to give you a price.

Me: Ahhhh, how about a ballpark figure for 2 people who would like a tour in English

Winery: Weekday or weekend?

Me: Weekend [why does this matter?!!!]

Winery: Morning or afternoon

Me: Um…let’s say afternoon [Again, why does this matter?!!!]

Winery: Well, it’s 6 euros per person, but you need to spend 70 euros during your visit, unless you want a tour of the vineyard and our house, but that would depend of course if the translator is here, and that cost would be different as well. But if you come on Tuesday from 9-12 that cost is….. [shoot me!]

Me: Do you give tours in English or French? [you know, the relatively common languages other than Spanish]

Winery: Oh, we don’t give English tours for any group less than 10, but we can do Dutch for 2 people.  [Logically]

Me: Can I bring my children?

Winery: Of course you can!! [Easiest and most consistent answer from every single winery in Iberia - children are welcome]

Me: Can I get there by train?

Winery: You can get anywhere in Spain by train [great marketing ploy, but so not true]

What I can tell you for certain, is that there are many wineries in Catalunya that are “generally” enotourism friendly. What does that mean? Good question, because I think this term is rather vague, as you an see from this article, but I will define enotourism friendly in the following way: able to speak multiple languages, convenient visiting hours, interesting tour, ability to taste their wines without paying a small fortune, opportunity to see the vineyard, child friendly services, capacity to purchase their wines in house, free transportation from the train station, and most importantly, winery tours given based on your level of knowledge and expertise. Now, you’ll notice that I said “generally” enotourism friendly. This qualifier is key, because most wineries in Spain will not meet every single one of these qualifications. You may get someone who speaks English, but you’re required to book a visit a month in advance. Or, there is a 30 minute winery tour, but no wine tasting or vineyard tour. You get the idea

However, allow me to suggest a little tourism friendly advice: always  email prior to your visit!! You might imagine that like the USA, you can swing by and say hello at anytime, but this is not the case in either Spain or Portugal. Nor can you assume that every winery will meet your specific needs. Hence, my suggestion is to save yourself a headache and contact the winery prior to your big adventure with a specific list of your needs.

The Following Wineries Can be Visited from Barcelona by Train: (to purchase ticket, go to the Barcelona Sants Train Station)

40 minutes from Barcelona

• Rimarts (Sant Sadurni Station) minimum of 5 euros for tour and tasting; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups okay, 5 minute taxi ride
• Freixenet (Sant Sadurni Station) 6 euros for tour and tasting; multilingual; multi-sized groups okay, within spitting distance of the train station
• Codorniu (Sant Sadurni Station) up to 8 euros pp for tour and tasting; multi-lingual tours available, multi-sized groups okay, 25 minute walk or 10 by taxi
• Gramona (Sant Sadurni Station) price varies from 6 euros up for tour and tasting depending on size and type of tour; multi-lingual tours available; 15 minute walk
• Marfil Alella 5 euros for tour and tasting; hours fluctuate; language available dependent on size of group; bus available from train station
  
• Castellroig (Sant Sadurni Station): 5 euros for tasting and tour: multi-lingual tours available, multi-sized groups okay; 20 minute walk or 10 minute taxi to winery
• Can Feixes (Sant Sadurni Station) free tasting and tour; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups; 15 min taxi ride from station
  
• Pages Entrena (Sant Sadurni Station) 5 euros for tasting and tour: multi-lingual tours available; multi-sized groups okay; 15 min taxi ride

1 hour from Barcelona

• J. Miquel Jané (Vilafranca del Penedés Station) Only for large groups (min. 10) for a 3 hour course; multi-lingual; prices vary from 35-40 euros pp; 5 min taxi
• Pares Baltá (Vilafranca del Penedés Station) 10 euros pp for tour and tasting; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups okay; 5 min taxi ride
• Abadal (Manresa Station) 5 euros pp for tasting and tour; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups okay; 20 minute taxi ride

1 hour 30 from Barcelona

• Josep Foraster (Montblanc Station) Free tour and tasting; multi-sized groups okay; tours in many languages; 10 minute walk to winery
• Simó Palau (Montblanc Station) 3 euro tour & tasting; hours fluctuate; size of groups dependent on day; tours in French, Spanish and Catalan; 15 min walk to winery
• Rende Masdeu (Espluga de Fracola Station) free tour and tasting; Spanish and Catalan only; multi-groups; 5 min walk to winery
• Can Bonastre (Masquefa Station): free tasting and tour; multi-lingual tours available; multi-sized groups okay; 5 minute taxi ride or 15 min walk
• Milmanda-Torres (Vimbode Station) minimum of 2 euros pp for tour and tasting; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups available; 5 minute taxi ride
• Avgvstvs (El Vendrell Station) 5 euros pp for tour and tasting; multi-lingual, multi-sized groups okay; 3 minute taxi ride
• Jane Ventura (El Vendrell Station): 5 euros for tasting and tour; multi-lingual available; multi-sized groups okay; located right next to the station

2 hours from Barcelona

• Celler Laurona & Clos Figueres (Marca-Falset Station): free tasting and tour; multi-lingual tours available; can pick you up at train station
• Costers del Siurana (Marca-Falset Station) 25 euros for tasting and tour; multi-lingual; multi-sized groups; 15 min by taxi
• Fincaria Vins (Montsant) I can’t get through to these guys, but we’ve visited them in the past! Suggest dropping an email.

Don’t forget to tell them that Catavino.net sent you! And if you have any suggestions of wineries that should be added or subtracted to the list, please don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts below. As each of us have our own unique perspectives and experiences, we value your contribution! Stay tuned for similar winery visits for Madrid, Lisbon and Porto!

Cheers,

Gabriella Opaz

This list has been created with the help of Juan Manuel Gonzalvo,  correspondent writer for Catavino.es and an enologist; Anthony Swift, founder of Wine Pleasures Wine Tours; Alex Duran, founder of SommelierAlumni; Henrik Heikel of Winepick Wine Tours; and Yuko Satake, our resident Japanese blogger devoted exclusively to Spanish wines.

Related posts:

• Tour Company – Vintage Spain
• Day Trip to Bodega Torres
• Wake Up Spanish Wineries! Wine Pleasures is Here!
• Wineries Around the World, Listen Up! Catavino’s Free PDF Will Help You Understand Social Media Better
• Restaurante Gaig in Barcelona

Recently, Ryan and I were inspired by both Lenndevours and Spittoon, two wine blogs on either side of the vast Pacific Atlantic, for creating simple and straight-forward articles on wines they’ve tasted, and at times, just haven’t had the opportunity to share with others. Due to a large quantity wine notes slowly slipping through the cracks and not seeing the light of day, we’ve decided to follow suit, by also sharing wines we’ve tasted, despite the fact that we may not have visited either the winery or the region. Consider these little breathers away from our normal mammoth-sized educational posts. When possible, we’ll try to include some information on the wines availability and any relevant facts that came through in the press releases that accompany them.

A few weeks ago, we were sent two wines from a winery located in Begues, Spain, not 15 miles south of Barcelona called, Montau de Sadurní. Descendents of the Sadurní family – possible namesakes of the Cava capital, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia – the winery has been makign wine wine since the 15th century, evolving from a bulk wine producer into a private label winery. Currently, they are producing 3 labels: Arrels de Montau de Sadurní, their mid-range line composed of blends; Senor de Montnegre is made up of younger fruit-forward wines; and their high-end line called, Mantau de Sadurní, featuring two Gran Reserva cavas.

We had tried both the 2004 Arrels de Montau de Sadurni Crianca and their Gran Reserva Brut Nature. Made from 100% Chardonnay, the Crianca (or Crianza), oddly enough, did not list a vintage anywhere on the bottle or cork. According to the tech sheet, however, it was a 2004 vintage fermented in stainless steel and aged for 6 months in oak. For me, the wine gave off a brilliant pale golden color with a funky savory nose laced with bright aromas of green grass and herbs right after a rainstorm. In the mouth, the wine shows tame but integrated acidity with a medium body and medium short mature pear and light wood finish. Summed up by Ryan, “Not an explosive wine, but nice and simple.” Neither of us would rush out to buy this.

The Gran Reserva Brut Nature, on the other hand, was incredible, showing tiny vivacious bubbles which dance in a dark golden brew. While Ryan found more expressive lemon and citrus notes on the nose, I found it to be yeasty with hints of caramelized honey, musty cellar, raw almonds and butterscotch. In the mouth, this is a toasty and rich with loads of lemon and citrus notes. Full and complete, we really enjoyed this wine for its overall balance, medium acidity and medium short finish of mature ripe apple and bread notes. Worth checking out and would make a great start to any “rooftop bbq”!

I would highly suggest checking out their blog as well, as they not only publish regularly, but also write in German, English and Spanish – a rarity in Spain.

Cheers,

Gabriella Opaz

Related posts:

• Codorníu
• Bodega Profile – Heretat Mestres – D.O. Cava
• Agustí Torelló – Kripta , High End Spanish Cava
• NV Rimarts Brut Reserva and DO Cava's New Image
• 1998 Companhia Agricola do Sanguinhal Óbidos Quinta das Cerejeiras Reserva

I sometimes like to believe that my father is a master pyromaniac in the most docile sense of the word. The week before Independence Day, my brother and I would pile into the back of my father’s car and go for an hour and half car ride north to Wisconsin, where it is legal to buy firecrackers, but just not use them. I remember these times fondly, walking into makeshift tents set up alongside the highway lined with dozens of cardboard boxes overflowing with clown colored tubes with names like Bottle Rockets and Dragon Twisters. My dad would always break the bank that day, and like a kid in a candy store, he couldn’t say no to things that light up the sky and go BOOM!

But our revelry as a family lasted only one day of the year, while here in Catalunya, the Revetlla de Sant Joan, complete with enormous bonfires and imaginary beings, is characterized by a week long celebration of explosions. For approximately seven days, you hear nothing but the constant sound of warfare, until the night of June 23rd, when children, grandparents and people of all races and religions gather together to go absolutely flippin’ insane. Imagine walking through your local park, and literally having firecrackers come at you from every direction. Five year olds chucking small firecrackers at your feet, grandma lighting Roman Candles at a 45 degree angle, teenagers igniting bottle rockets directly at their buddies, smoke everywhere, and you, in the middle of it all, praying that you can just get to the other side of the 200 meter park without having your eye taken out.

Where does this complete chaos stem from? La Nit de Sant Joan, St John’s Night, honors the longest night of the year by giving homage to three important pagan symbols: fire, water and earth. Fire is one of the three symbols commonly known as the Nit del Foc, or “night of fire”. Its purifying flames intend to frighten off imaginary beings that abound during the hours of darkness. The tradition holds that you are supposed to write down those fears which you want to disintegrate, crumple up the paper and toss it into the fire. If you’re really brave, you actually jump over the fire for good luck. The second symbol is water. It is said that, on this night, water has curative powers, so it is the custom for many people to swim in the Mediterranean or moisten themselves with dew from the fields at the crack of dawn. I personally haven’t done this myself, but I have heard rumors of people taking a leisurely swim in the sea only to find their possessions gone upon their return. Clearly, this mystical night also brings out some dark beings that ‘magically’ seem to find your money. The last symbol, earth, is characterized primarily by herbs and secondarily by food. According to tradition, medicinal plants multiply their curative properties on this night, so it is the custom to collect thyme, rosemary and verbena at the first hour of the morning.

Because we grow herbs on our roof, we decided to partake in the gastronomical element of the festival by pairing a bottle of cava with a traditional “coca”. A coca is traditional flat bread that is exactly double its width in length and can either be served savory or sweet – depending on the region. Here in Catalunya, you will only find one version, sweet, very sweet, and my teeth are falling out call a dentist, sweet. We tried the very sweet cream coca that tasted like an open faced creme filled donut. Even the aroma reminded me of Dunkin Donuts, which I’m not sure is a good thing, but I enjoyed the airy fried texture and the delicious crunch of pure, unadulterated sugar embedded into the dough. This is literally a heart stopper, but with the magical properties of Cava, I’d like to believe that all the artery blocking fat molecules were magically swept away with the 2006 Bodegas Naveran Rose Brut Cava “Perles” made with 100% Pinot Noir.

To be clear, this wine is an absolute buy, that we suggest you get your mitts on right this moment. We’ve had some good rosés in the past, but this surpasses good, it’s ridiculously amazing. A light onion skin in color with active, fervent bubbles and thick, almost delicate mousse. Intoxicating aromas of cranberry, cream, sawdust, attic, mushrooms and yeast that allure you into the glass without giving away too many secrets. These little telltale aromas happen over time, enticing you to take a sip. Crisp and alive with just enough yeast and mature fruit to balance out the acidity. It’s a wine that reminds you of a Victorian tea party complete with laced cranberry and raspberry flavors with a subtle touch of bready notes. For 13.95 euros, it’s an absolute steal!

As usual, our notes and the recipe for coca is provided below. Enjoy and watch out for roaming firecrackers!

Cheers,

Gabriella Opaz

Coca Catalana

Recipe taken from the Barcelona Government Site

For the brioche:
300 g of flour
270 g of sugar
100 g of butter
3 eggs
1/8 l of water
Peel of 1 lemon
½ l of milk
50 g of brewer’s yeast

For the cream:
¼l of milk
1 stick of vanilla
2 egg yolks
100 g of sugar
30 g of corn flour

Preparation
First, the brioche. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in water (1/8l) and add the flour. Mix well, put on a plate, cover and leave the dough until it has risen to double its volume.

Meanwhile, mix the other ingredients, the milk, sugar, eggs and butter, with a bit of lemon peel and flour. Mix well until you have a spongy dough. Then, add in the dough that you left to rise and work together well. Leave this mixture to rise again. When it’s ready, divide it into the number of cocas you want. Dust the work surface with flour and flatten the dough with a rolling pin.

Now the marzipan. Grind the almonds, mix them with two egg whites and the sugar. In a saucepan, make a syrup mixing a bit of water and sugar. Add in the ground almonds and cook for 2-3 minutes. It is essential that you keeping stirring. Spread the marzipan over the uncooked coca without covering the edges. Grease a baking pan with butter and put the coca on it. Brush the edges with beaten egg and cook in the oven at medium temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream. Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla and let it cool. Mix the beaten eggs with the milk. Mix the starch with a bit of water, drain and then add to the milk mixture. Heat over a low flame, stirring constantly until the mixture is creamy. All you need to do then is put the cream around the edge of the coca and lick your fingers!

Ryan’s Tasting Notes
Super fine bubbles and mousse on this onion skin rose. Really a pretty wine with a delicate appearance, like lace. The nose shows earthy with bread, yeast, and mushroom notes with touches of delicate cranberry. It’s restrained and well, makes me want to taste it right away as if it’s holding back a secret. In the mouth I discover a secret, beauty and zingy acidity. WOW, this is an elegant wine, with a bright acidity that balances out the mature flavors and yeast components that too often make a cave flat and dull. This is a wine that remains, adult with complexity but under it lies a youthful child waiting to play. Fresh and with a long finish. My mouth minutes later still has strawberries and cranberries floating about.

Gabriella’s Tasting Notes
Gorgeous medium onion skin color with active, tiny bubbles and a thick, dense foam. Reserved, but elegant aromas of cranberry, yeast, strawberry, attic, bread and mushrooms, showing fantastic acidity and great tannic structure. Bright, light, and fun, this wine is a lovely summer wine that calls for a celebratory cocktail just because the sun is shining. Great cranberry, rose petal and raspberry flavors on the palate dissipated into a lovely lacy mushroom and red fruit finish. Overall wonderful sparkling pinot noir!

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At the end of March, we threw a little shindig for Ryan on his birthday consisting of wine, mounds of grilled butifarra and dozen friends. And with the appropriate social graces, many of our friends came bearing gifts, all looking distinctly similar to a bottle of wine. Clearly, they had been well versed in the ways of gift giving for an uber-wine geek!

The Rimarts Brut Reserva from Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is one of Ryan’s birthday bottles which has been sitting patiently in the refrigerator just waiting for the right moment to be uncorked. And today just happens to be the lucky day as new friends for the States have been invited for a traditional Catavino Cookout on our terrace complete with grilled chicken, butifarra, grilled peppers, artichokes, and of course, regional cured hams and cheeses.

The strangely appropriate timing of this grand uncorking comes just one day before DO Cava releases their brand new image, coupled with the new slogan, “From the Land to the Heart”. Can you hear the violin’s playing the background and feel the gentle wind ruffling your hair, as you overlook their vast, rolling vineyards? As told on the Wines of Spain website, the idea behind this heart warming slogan according to DO Cava’s Regulating Council, Gustavo García Guillamet, is to encompass the entire winemaking process, from the very earth where, “Cava is born as a gift for the senses, wooing one’s emotions and going straight to the heart”. Question: Do you suddenly feel compelled to savor a glass of cava based on this eloquent and moving slogan? Are your keys in hand prepared to buy up a few cases of brut, brut nature and semi seco cava?

But wait, there’s more. The slogan is being launched in conjunction with their sleek and minimalist new image. According to Gustavo, “It’s a simple silhouette of four bottles where one of the bottles represents young cava aged from 9 to 15 months, the second bottle represents cava Reserva aged more than 15 months, the third bottle represents cava Gran Reserva aged more than 30 months, and lastly the forth bottle represents a cava that boasts the same qualities as the rest but differs because it’s a rosé”. The image is further expounded upon in how each letter describes a characteristic of its particular style. Therefore, “C” stands for ‘Characteristic’ and ‘Convincing’, describing how a young wine is intended to fully express the varieties in their raw form. The first “A”, for its ‘Ample’ character’ and ‘aromatic’ expression of ripe fruit of a slightly old, mature wine. So on and so forth.

Clearly this marketing campaign took a considerable amount of money and time to put together, but is it effective? Personally, I believe this is a complete waste of time and resources, simply because the international availability of cava other than Freixenet, Gramona or Codorniu is still limited, as is the amount of quality and comprehensive information on the web. Take the DO Cava website for example. Is this helpful to you? Would you not prefer that money be spent on effective education and international marketing strategies? Granted, maybe we’re biased, but somehow, I doubt that you’ll be looking at your next bottle of cava, while standing in the middle of your wine shop, saying, “So, this ‘c’ stands for a young cava that I should drink now.”

So we’re a bit skeptical of their campaign, but that doesn’t mean that we will ever stop drinking cava, and this particular one is no exception. Albeit a wee flat on the finish, we loved the creamy caramel notes on the wine, accompanied by a lush round mouthfeel, and we definitely would try another bottle to see whether the acidity is merely a flaw in this particular bottle or emblematic of the wine.

That said, we’d like to know what you wish DO Cava would spend their money on? What resources are you craving to help expand not only your Cava education, but also the accessibility?

Cheers,
Gabriella

Gabriella’s Tasting Note

Ryan’s Tasting Note
Light golden color with medium large bubbles. The nose on this is bready with with a nice lemon cream undercurrent, and light caramel nut notes on top. Really a pretty wine. In the mouth the acidity and vigor is low, ending with a flat finish. Though I really like the flavors of marzipan, nuts, lemon, and creamy yeast. Incredibly flavorful and a real treat on the palate. Ony with it had a bit more spritz and acidity. 3/5

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Today, I have a treat for myself. I need a treat. It’s been one of those weeks that leaves you wondering why you even bother going to bed, since you’ll be up at back at work the minute you wake up again. Recently, my days have started to feel drawn out and full of ups and downs, and to be honest, I really didn’t want to participate in this month’s Wine Blog Wednesday even though the theme, Old World Reisling, is something I truly adore. I just don’t have the energy, but then I decided to change my attitude to become a little more relaxed and calm.

The reason I love Old World Reisling is for one simple reason, or rather one particular man, Terry Theise. If you’re not familiar with his name, please stop reading and go to his page at Skurnik Wines. Download all of his wine catalogs and start reading veraciously. I can wait. In fact, if you don’t make it back here, I excuse you, because these catalogs are too good to be true.

To be honest, I’m not much of a writer, nor am I much of a reader. And because I love them both, we call this a conundrum. I write here, and I read there, and I sometimes find myself feeling a little empty. Maybe it’s the content, the subjects or both. I’m not really sure, but when I went looking for information on one of my Reislings today, I found Terry.

Mind you, if it weren’t for this man, I wouldn’t be appreciating these bottles of wine right now. It would be equivalent to using the 100 point system and not knowing who Robert Parker is. So, I quickly downloaded his catalog where I thought I might find reference to my German Reisling, but suddenly, I was lost. Lost in his words, wit and wisdom. Terry’s catalogs, whether you like wine or not, are a must read for his frankness, honesty, word play, and humor. If you don’t love German Reisling, well, you may change your mind when you read Terry’s words.

To start his report, he always places his manifesto at the top, before you get to the meat of the report.
Theise Mannifesto

• Beauty is more important than impact.
• Harmony is more important than intensity.
• The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of
  its parts.
• Distinctiveness is more important than conventional
  prettiness.
• Soul is more important than any thing, and soul is expressed as
  a trinity of family, soil and artisanality.

This is a manifesto that I can get behind! Drinking Iberian wine everyday, I often forget how much I love the world of wine and not anyone region. These words are timeless, and in my opinion, great advice for anyone just getting into wine. Live by these words and you can’t go wrong.

But this post is not about Terry Theise, but rather Old World Reisling. Today, we have 2 wines in front of us, one from the heralded 2003 vintage in Germany, an Auslese from one of the premier wine makers in Terry’s collection. I bought this wine as a future at a tasting in Minneapolis back when I still sold wine. A guided tasting with one of the sharpest palates I’ve ever been with, Terry showed us that despite “Crazy-ass heat” one could still make a Reisling full of nuance and character. In truth, I can’t tell you why I bought this one versus the many others that were in my price range at the time. I was relatively new to German wines, and excited to explore a region that seems totally frightening when you look at the complicated labels. But on this particular night, I learned that I had to at least try and dig through the odd characters, strange accents, and unpronounceable names to get at the heart of these treats. And consequently, I fell in love.

Today I sit in a Reisling wasteland. I’ve tried Reisling from around Spain, and I believe that I’ve even had a Portuguese Reisling once. But I wouldn’t recommend them. Nonetheless, I’m here to taste, so you don’t have to. Therefore, to balance the pie a bit, I’m also about to open a 2007 dry Reisling from down the road, a Penedes treat that has never offended me, though that is not much of an endorsement either.

From the moment I open the Sumarroca 2007 from the Penedes, I’m instantly happy and sad. Happy that it’s still fresh and lively. Sad, because there is not much to it. Reisling, I’m afraid, is not meant for Iberia. It loses its soul. The land of the Toro, and the feisty Spanish persona, is not a home for something with a delicate nature. Spain is land of bold wines with bright flavors and complex traits, and for me, I want something more subtle when I drink Reisling. The Sumarroca is easy to drink, simple and a great example of muscat, or a simple summer white blend. From their site (annoying flash, don’t bother visiting it):

Entirely produced from grapes grown in the Sumarroca Estate, only the best 50% from the first juice (free-run) of these carefully selected Muscat varieties has been used for this wine. Fermentation took place during 3 weeks under strict temperature control at 15º C in stainless steel tanks. It has been gently filtered and stabilized at a low temperature before bottling.

Reisling was never meant to be 100% dry, or at least not very often. Alsace is an exception, however, and the sugar makes a big difference. Now I know that some of you are saying, “I don’t like sweet wines”! To you, I say, “give me a break”! Put down your dry Coca-Cola and listen. Sweet is good. Sweet is nice. And just like in dry wines, if the wine is NOT balanced, than it will taste bad. Mogan David tastes horrid, because it’s like drinking syrup! Good Reisling doesn’t have this problem, due to its high acidity. I’ve served very sweet Reislings to friends who have quickly responded, “what a nice dry wine this is”. 50 grams of sugar dry! The acidity balanced the wine, whereby keeping your tongue from becoming a syrup slick. Ok rant done…Now on to what has made my afternoon pleasant.

Joh.Jos. Christoffel, 2003 ÃœRZIGER WÃœRZGARTEN Auslese***, that’s a mouthfull! Let me preface the next few lines with this, I love Spanish and Portuguese wine, but I needed this. This is a pure stroke of bright light through my Tempranillo stained tongue. New flavors, aromas and textures, dance though my mind, and I feel handicapped describing the wine before me. Because I am so tied up in Iberia, I almost forgot why I loved wine, diversity. In my glass sits some of the most gorgeous honey flavors with minerals, petrol, fruits and flowers, exotic and rare. Here are Terry’s own notes from his report on this wine.

2003 Ürziger Würzgarten Reisling Auslese*** ++
“This is always from the same parcel, and it cannot produce more than forty hectoliters per hectare,” says Hans-Leo. “We’ve had at least Spätlese from this site in every vintage except 1991. I could make these wines heavier, but it goes against my philosophies. The day I can’t make wines like these any more is the day I’ll pack it in.” It’s down below, to the right of the sundial, in case you want to locate it. This 2003 has the extra note, the Grand Cru flavor, now glazed with the finest botrytis maltiness. As always what amazes here is the density and delicacy, and here, in 2003, the siren-song of minerality.
SOS: 3 (between ten and thirty years)

I’m glad I wrote this!! I’m glad I opened this treasure before it’s time (I wanted to wait 5 more years), and I’m glad I still have 2/3′s of a bottle left for dinner tonight. Although, I’m not sure I want to drink this with the meal. It is perfect for some many dishes, as its balance would complement more treats than you might expect. But no, I think I’ll grab the bottle, sit up on my roof, watch the sun set over Montserrat, and let my mind drift. That’s what wine is for. Thanks Terry!

Cheers,

Ryan Opaz

Ryan

Gabriella

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