The Winery Essència de Lluna of Terra Alta of Catalogne

In the last board meeting of 2021 for the regulatory council of DO Terra Alta, in Catalunya, Spain, a long list of changes was approved. The most prominent was the making of a very strict certification system for wines that are 100% Garnatxa Blanca given that it’s their flagship grape variety. But perhaps the most interesting item is a bit further down the list that allows certification for a type of wines that in Catalan are called “vins brisats”. The name refers to white wine ...

The idea for the summit at this remote locale came from Josep Cusiné of Parés Baltà and Ignasi Segui of Vinyes Singulars as the church sits on a ridge (‘cim’ in Catalan) at 643m in altitude. It has an unparalleled 360-degree view which opens up on the plain of Penedès and out to the Mediterranean Sea, 25km in the distance. Starting in 2015, the first years were friendly, loose affairs and took place inside the church but interest from those in the region (as well with sommeliers and the regional ...

In a year when travel was almost impossible, wine has been a fine companion. In terms of varieties I have been drinking a vinous A to Z: everything from Albillo (Cebreros) to Zibibbo (Pantelleria, Italy). Specifically I have been enjoying Cariñena from Priorat and Rioja, plus Garnachas – white, red and hairy – from Terra Alta, Rioja and Gredos, as well as Greek Xinomavro from Naoussa and Xarel.lo from Catalunya. Scroll down for Sarah Jane Evans MW’s top 10 wines of 2021 Not forgetting Menc ...