Catalan Wines

Wine with a greater purpose: El Microscopi 2016

by  |  20-12-2017

Wine needs a story! So harps those in marketing these days and I have to agree that there is some truth to this as a wine without a story is essentially the beer, Coors Light.... more »

Introducing Cal Bessó

by  |  13-12-2017

It was a hot July because it’d been a hot year and the weather in 2017 hadn’t given much of a damn as to the comfort of human beings, let alone grapes. But one day... more »

A soirée of White Grenache

by  |  30-11-2017

Starting in October, we’ve been seeing a roll out of events to lead up to the next edition of Grenaches du Monde in April. If you’ve not heard of this event that’s because it rather... more »

Sangenís i Vaqué: a Priorat family

by  |  17-11-2017

Having roots in Spain’s Priorat wine region means having a family that has seen some incredibly bleak times. While in the late 1800s the region experienced a boom, due to phylloxera blighting France, once the... more »

The Creation of Priorat Singulars

by  | 

In Barcelona, Spain on November 27th, a new association of wine producers from the DOQ Priorat appellation in Catalonia officially presented of their new group and concluded with a tasting that included current releases as... more »

Tasting the latest of Vins de Pedra

by  |  14-11-2017

It was back in 2012 that I witnessed the first breaths of Vins de Pedra. During a spring visit to La Vinyeta and chatting with owner, Josep Serra, it was impossible to miss a new... more »

Cara Nord – Trepat 2016 & Negre 2015

by  |  30-10-2017

I’ve enjoyed seeing the continued evolution of the Cara Nord project which is led by two heads of Catalan cellars, Tomàs Cuisiné and Xavi Cepero and then American importer, Eric Solomon. While they make one... more »

Lady strangler news, Escanyavella 2015

by  |  18-10-2017

There exists an old grape in DOQ Priorat that sits in something of a legal limbo called, Escanyavella. Essentially it means “old lady choker” or “strangler” depending on how poetic you might want to be... more »

Tastings & Talks happening

by  |  25-08-2017

If there’s one thing I’m not the best at, it’s shameless self promotion, which in some ways I feel is a positive as opposed to a negative. Still, the old adage of a tree falling... more »

And the Paratges of Cava arrive

by  |  17-08-2017

It is not unjust to say that Spain’s sparkling wine, Cava, is the antithesis of “terroir”. While 90% of this Iberian bubbly comes from within the limits of the Penedès counties in Catalunya, there are... more »