It’s August, the month in Barcelona when it feels like everyone is on vacation. But don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you, our dear members and friends. We await your return with souvenirs from our travels. While you are out enjoying the last moments of a summer that you don’t want to end, we have been searching for those precious little wine gems you will gladly use to drown your post vacation blues.
Besides relaxing on vacation, our goal is to discover. When we travel, we discover new places, new climates, new cultures, new food and most importantly we discover the local wine. When we do find something special of course we want to share it with you. Paolo ventured deep into the countryside of Portugal to bring you our rosé from Douro this month.
ROSÉ WINE
“Fim” Vineyard of Obra | Quinta Vila Rachel
Rosé | 2021
Douro, Portugal
We love a vineyard with a story and Quinta Vila Rachel is full of culture and history. It all started with Tiago’s forefather, António Teixera Lopes, one of the greatest sculptors from Portugal. You can find his self portrait on the label. His farm was passed on generation to generation but it is Tiago who started to produce the natural wine we bring you today. He decided to learn about winemaking by exploring, traveling, and trying new methods. One of the things we admire about natural winemakers is how they combine tradition with new ideas and Quinta Vila Rachel is exactly that. If you’re intrigued enough to plan a trip to Portugal you can pay them a visit, see the sculptures in the museum, swim in the organic pool, and stay in one of their three bungalows!
Fim is a very well produced, crisp and light bodied rosé using several Portuguese varieties in the traditional way of this region. The wine has a long fermentation of eleven months and is unfiltered. Notes of red fruit and strawberry jam with the perfect level of acidity and freshness make it a delightful treat.
SPARKLING WINE
Hungry Heart | Álvaro Gonzalez Márcos
Xarello | 2021
Penedès, Spain
We are still feeling sparkly and we know you are too. Hungry Heart may be the best sparkling we’ve tried this year. Structured and harmonious. When we tried it we had to order a bottle and you know when the bottle just disappears? This wine was made for getting your friends into natural wine if they’ve never tried it before, but I doubt that. It’s hard to find, not too funky and extremely smooth and easy to drink.
Álvaro Gonzalez Márcos has been making his natural live wines in the mecca of sparkling wine, El Penedès. He describes his philosophy as « hand work at the vineyard and low intervention in the cellar. » After 15 months of aging, Hungry Heart gives us the ideal balance of herbaceous and balsamic notes with persistent bubbles for a long pleasant finish. At 10,5% it’s perfectly acceptable if you want another one, we are well stocked.
Saúde to Natural Wine!
