Catalan Wines

Familia Torres – Purgatori 2023

by  |  13-04-2026

In what was another life (i.e. pre-pandemic) I received less than 48 hours notice to fill in as the “wine expert” for a group of well-heeled enotourists arriving from the UK for a New Year’s... more »

Juvé & Camps leaves DO Cava for Corpinnat

by  |  01-04-2026

In what has long-been suspected by many, today Juvé & Camps announced that they have left the DO Cava to join the association of Corpinnat and raise its total members to 22. And, the winery... more »

Priorat 2015 vs 2013 via Mas Alta’s Cirerets

by  |  26-03-2026

The Cirerets from from DOQ Priorat’s Bodegas Mas Alta has long-been one of my favorite “middle wines” from the region. It’s a blend of Grenache and Carignan and hits all the right points, shows the... more »

Taking on a quintet of Triaca, Priorat

by  |  20-03-2026

It’s a wine label that would never be allowed in the US and probably not the UK: Triaca, the excellent elixir of pharmacists. That against all poison. That which heals everything and leads to well-being.... more »

The state of Catalan wine in the market

by  |  16-03-2026

The Catalan Wine Agency, INCAVI, has released its annual report on Catalan wines for 2025 and the summary is that there’s “general stability” which is about as good a news as anyone can hope for... more »

Vins el Cep – Les Madones 2023

by  |  04-03-2026

“Humdinger” is not a word I usually use to describe a grape variety, but if I’m going to start, then Malvasia de Sitges is the variety I’d apply it to. As I pointed out in... more »

A look at 2018 Priorat

by  |  16-02-2026

Last week, as something of a ‘celebration’ to the end of Dry January (which is about as ‘dry’ as any other month for me), I was rummaging through the cellar and came up with a... more »

The brandy of Torres

by  |  09-02-2026

Just over a decade ago, I had to do an emergency fill in as the “wine expert” for a group of posh enotourists(*) who were coming to Catalunya for New Year’s Eve. A visit to... more »

And now, the ‘Pica’

by  |  29-01-2026

It started as many things do these days, with an Instagram Story. And, as all things ‘Story’ go, I have only the ephemeral visual memories and snippets of seconds to tie together an actual story... more »

Celler Viader – Les Eretes 2023

by  |  26-01-2026

Nothing happens in a bubble, except for when it does, like when the asteroid disaster films of Deep Impact and Armageddon were both produced in 1997 and then released in the summer of 1998. Both... more »