Catalan Summer

Penedes and Terra Alta

Hi Everyone,

To round out our past few days of Spanish Natural wine, we are ending with some chuggable favorites from Finca Parera and Mendall.

For those who aren't familiar, Finca Parera is run by Ruben Parera who is the fourth generation to run his family farm in Upper Penedes, where they grow certified biodynamic grapes, as well as cherries, almonds and olives. We've been a fan of his wines for awhile and they just get better and better every year.

Mendall is run by the visionary Laureano Serres in Terra Alta, west of Penedes. Laureano quit his computer programming job in Madrid in 1996 to come home and make wine at the local co-op. He set out on his own in 1999 and started producing a few bottles from his old family plots and started planting new vineyards. He made friends with French winemakers working naturally, most notably Thierry Puzelat and Marcel Lapierre, and in 2004 he "forgot" to add sulfur to his wine and hasn't looked back. He runs the H20 Vegetal wine fair, he was at the table when the Brutal wine concept was born and he might sell you a DIY greenhouse kit to grow organic vegetables.

Here's what we have to offer today:

• Macabeo "Abeurador Tranquil", Mendall 2019 $28 This is 100% Macabeo from Laureano's family plot, made all in steel and bottled just before the fermentation finished, with no sulfur added. This isn't really a Pet-Nat, but it is a little fizzy, sort of in the style of a Vinho Verde which makes this wine so easy and crushable. Tons of juicy ripe tangerine, white flowers and smashed pears with a bright, lip-smacking finish. Put this in a Porron and practice your long pour.
• Fins Als Kullons, Finca Parera 2019 $33 We've been loving this one all summer and just have a few bottles left. This is a chuggable red and white blend of Sumoll, Xarel-lo and Garnacha Blanca, co-fermented and bottled in liters, unfiltered with no sulfur added. Bright candied red fruit and crushed flowers with a zippy citrus finish. You'll be happy it's in a bigger bottle.