DO Empordà – Costa Brava:

The Empordà – Costa Brava Denominación de origen (appellation) is located north of Barcelona, between the French border and the rugged Costa Brava on the Mediterranean. The terrain ranges from low-lying farmland, to rolling hill country, to the ridges of various minor peaks in the area. In the foothills, the soil is infertile, acidic and rocky: perfect for grape vines. The region enjoys abundant sunshine, but is also subject to north winds that can blow so strong that vineyards in area are planted running north to south, so as not to get blown over.

Vinyes dels Aspres is a small winery located in Cantallops, just south of the French border. “Els Aspres” is the area’s popular name, and refers to the harshness of the region, both the soil and the strong winds.

The winery was launched only four years ago with a focus on small-scale production. All the grapes are grown by the winery on 36 hectares and several vines are more than 20 years old, providing greater character than can younger vines. The small size of the vineyards means greater control of grape quality and the ability to harvest when the sugar levels are at peak.

Their range includes a white wine made from acidic Garnacha Blanca (white grenache) grapes briefly mellowed in French oak barrels. These barrels are kept for use in future vintages for their red wine, a blend of the local varieties of Garnacha and Cariñera (Caringan) with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, which is oak-aged for several months.

In a region known for its desert wines, this style is a Vinyes’ speciality. Its is known regionally as Vi de Panses (literally “raisin wine”). This sweet wine is made by letting the grapes dry and pressing them to make wine once they have lost 50% of their volume, fermenting and then aging the wine. The result is a very agreeable, subtle dessert wine

The winery Cellers Oliver Conti was founded in 1991 by two brothers and has quickly established itself as a top quality wine producer. Located just outside of the village of Capmany the winery has 15 hectares of vines. Overall production is limited to roughly 50,000 bottles per year.

Oliver Conti range is limited to one white and one red wine per vintage. The white is a blend of Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, aged in French oak barrels. The result is an unusual combination of a sweet and fruity grape with an acidic grape, combined and matured in oak. The red wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is an expressive wine that has been wining critical raves (the 1998 red was given a 95 point score in the 2003 edition of Spain’s leading wine guide, the Guia Peñín).

Given the fact the vines themselves are just over ten years old, the best is definitely yet to come from this winery.

The biggest player in the region is the Castillo de Perelada. The company has a winery, a castle (with a restaurant and casino), and a 5 star hotel that features a “wine spa” and a golf course. The spa features health and beauty treatments, including wine baths and massages, that use the products of the winery: varietal wines, such as Merlot, crushed grapes, oils from the seeds, among others.

For those content to drink, Castillo de Perelada makes several styles of red, white and sparkling wines. The most distinctive of the reds is the Castillo Perelada Ex Ex, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha, followed by the Gran Claustro. Their signature cava bears the same name: Gran Claustro. It is a “brut nature”, which has nearly no residual sugars and is drier than “brut”, and is a blend of Chardonnay, Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello. This combination of the three traditional cava grapes plus the famous, more fruity and complex Chardonnay results in a crisp and well balance sparkler.

There are several other wineries of note, such as Mas Serra, Celler Espelt and Castillo de Capmany, to name but three more.