Au naturel

by

EATING AND DRINKING

According to a survey by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), one third of Europe’s organic grapes are grown in Spain. Catalunya has a deep-rooted history of viticulture, and in recent decades, many farmers have reconnected with their roots and gone organic. Albet i Noya, in the Penedés town of Sant Pau d’Ordal, introduced organic methods to produce their wines—no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or weed killers—in the Seventies, making them Spain’s first organic vineyard. Now, they produce over one million bottles annually from 80 hectares of vineyards. Anna Toledano, who helps organize Albet i Noya’s many wine tourism activities, explained that their philosophy encompasses respect for the environment and a more natural approach to life and health.

Further south at Vega de Ribes—just outside Sant Pere de Ribes near Sitges—Enric Bartra tilts a glass under a stream of red juice, lifts it to his nose and inhales deeply. His eyes are closed as if in prayer. It is his first taste of this year’s harvest—swollen grapes freshly plucked as the sun rose over a bright September morning. Bartra’s family have lived and farmed La Serra since 1540. The delighted smile crinkling the corners of his eyes tells me his ancestors would be pleased with this year’s crop.

At La Serra, Bartra’s crops have also been organic for over 30 years, substituting weed killers for mechanical removal and emphasizing healthy soil over chemical fertilizers. Cover crops planted between vine rows and edge planting of shrubs and hedges help to decrease soil erosion and improve biodiversity, providing a natural habitat for beneficial insects. In addition, organic winemakers like Bartra have a commitment to using indigenous yeasts in the fermentation process, clarifying with natural products and reducing the use of sulfur dioxide, the substance which helps preserve wine (but also gives you a hangover). With four generations of his family living on the farm, Bartra feels their choice to move to organic methods was entirely appropriate. It was a decision taken “for ourselves, for the environment and also for the consumers.”

“Growing great grapes makes great wine, free from the need to add anything else”

It’s a similar story at Can Suriol, where Assís Suriol, the farm’s 35-year-old oenologist, is harvesting this year’s full, purple ull de llebre (tempranillo) grapes with a small team in his family’s vineyards. As the full buckets are emptied into the waiting truck, Suriol revealed that he feels lucky that he, unlike many of his peers, did not ‘miss a generation’. His parents bucked the trend to deliver all their grapes to big vineyards for mass processing, instead investing heavily in the farm and small-scale wine production. Today, tourism also plays a part, and they are planning to open the old farmhouse as a casa rural in the near future. Their new cellar is equipped for the future with aluminum vats, but they still choose to ferment some wines in underground concrete cellars and chestnut barrels. In addition to traditional techniques, Suriol stressed the importance of using grapes native to the region. Deeply connected to the land, he feels it is essential to live on the property with the grapes. Passionate about the art and craft he has both inherited and chosen, Suriol explained that “growing great grapes makes great wine, free from the need to add anything else.”

For Vega de Ribes, Bartra favors the sweet crispness of malvasia de Sitges, a variety saved from extinction by local resident Manuel Llopis i de Casdes. This local hero planted his vineyards along the seafront and later bequeathed his land to a local hospital charity on the condition that they continued to cultivate the vineyards. Tenderly cupping a bunch of these pale, almost translucent grapes on the vine, Bartra explained that malvasia are particularly appropriate for the weather patterns delivered by climate change. Unusually intense heat in spring is leading to earlier harvests, which is problematic for the pickers who, instead of waiting until the relative cool of September, have to harvest during the intense heat of summer. malvasia, however, need extra time to ripen and can be left until late September. 

As they talk through the wine-pressing rituals, transforming truckloads of newly-picked grapes into sweet, slightly fizzy juice, both farmers speak about climate change in a matter-of-fact way. For them, it is a reality they can’t turn away from. Their lifestyle is in tune with the seasons. Their business is dependent on their skill to track, anticipate and respond to precipitation and sunshine, so much so that La Serra has its own weather station. Both vineyards are putting systems in place that enable them to adjust to changing patterns, including drought, which Catalunya is particularly susceptible to. This awareness extends to organic corks, sustainably harvested from local plantations.

Wine is an integral part of Catalan culture, although the younger generation is looking beyond the local context, exploring viniculture, oenology and, in particular, the marketing and promotion of their wines at a global level. Bartra’s son Biel recently spent time in California exchanging ideas and inspiration, and Suriol, too, has traveled to learn new techniques. Despite centuries of handed-down knowledge, they are still open to fresh ideas.

In a recent wine-tasting broadcast on Catalunya Radio show Estat de Gràcia, Catalunya’s best-known sommelier, Audrey Doré of Can Roca, tried some natural wines from Vega de Ribes—her verdict is that they embody the “taste of the Mediterranean.” Sampling these wines after spending time with the farmers and witnessing the care they take of their land and harvest gives the experience a whole new flavor, in which the earth and the grape have a tangible presence.