Catalan Wines

Not finding fault

by  |  23-03-2021

A much-delayed visit to Raventós i Blanc in Penedès finally came to fruition last week as we just emerged from “county confinement” to “regional confinement”. With a brilliant sun shining upon us after weeks of... more »

Checking in on Plana d’en Jan

by  |  19-03-2021

I like to say that “curiosity sates the palate”. This is why last year I did a tasting of “native” red varieties in DO Penedès. Initially I had only wanted varieties that were considered native... more »

In The Glass: Torres – Forcada 2016

by  |  19-02-2021

A story in wine spheres that probably hasn’t received enough attention is the work that Torres has been doing to recuperate the “lost” grape varieties of Catalunya. As the story goes, starting back in the... more »

1999 Vintage in Priorat vs. Châteauneuf-du-Pape

by  |  15-02-2021

While my memory is less amazing with each birthday, I can tell you exactly where I was at the beginning of 1999. Two friends came down from my hometown on December 31st, 1998 so that... more »

Scala Dei’s Artigots 2017

by  |  08-02-2021

If visiting the 12th century monastery of La Cartoixa in the village of Escaladei, you’d be forgiven for not noticing the dirt road that wobbles up along the left side of the old stone walls.... more »

DO Tarragona gets a different taste of the bubbly

by  |  05-02-2021

DO Tarragona has just announced significant changes to their Plec de Condicions which are working to shape their regulatory rules to reflect the current market trends of wine, especially when it comes to bubbles. They’ve... more »

DOQ Priorat prepares to approve new varieties

by  |  28-01-2021

News in the grape variety department this week revolved around the final approval given by the French INAO regulatory body approving six new varieties for use in Bordeaux. This has come about due to a... more »

An update on Priorat’s Vall Llach winery destruction

by  |  25-01-2021

As was reported on January 10th, the primary cellar holding nearly all the wines of Vall Llach in Porrera collapsed under the weight of snow from “Storm Filomena”. Due to the ongoing municipal confinement, it... more »

Historic snowstorm in Priorat destroys majority of emblematic cellar Vall Llach

by  |  10-01-2021

While most Spanish and international news reports have focused on the historically high snow fall in and around Madrid, other parts of the country have been hit hard by snow as well for the last... more »

Tasting Costers del Segre, of altitude

by  |  28-12-2020

For any wine drinker living outside Spain, or really outside of Catalunya even, DO Costers del Segre will be a bit of an unknown. Deep in the interior and fully contained with the province of... more »