The Bartra family
left3pcs
Catalonia, Spain
Catalonia, in eastern Spain, is a region that produces a wide variety of wine styles. Local varieties such as Xarello and Macabeo are used to make sparkling wine, Cava. The Mediterranean climate gives the grapes rich fruitiness and balanced acidity. In addition, areas such as Penedès produce full-bodied red wines and high-quality white wines.
The Bartra family's domain and vineyards
The current owner, Enric Bartra, is the 20th generation owner of the Domaine, which has been in business since 1540. There are several ruins left by Romans and Arabs around the Domaine, and documents written in the early Middle Ages prove that the Bartra family Domaine already existed under the name of Bernard Sassera in the 12th century.
Located on the Mediterranean coast, just 4km from the sea.
The Domaine's landscape is unique, surrounded by greenery all year round thanks to pine, oak, olive and carob forests, as well as small palm trees, where a wide variety of flora and fauna coexists, making it a real "treasure trove of biodiversity".
The paths, walls and stone huts are surrounded by fragrant plants such as rosemary, thyme, fennel and lavender, making it a very pleasant place to stroll.
The domaine's grounds cover an area of 50 hectares, of which the vineyards, divided into five plots, cover an area of approximately 30 hectares.
They cultivate olive trees that are over 1000 years old, Macabeo trees that are nearly 100 years old, and the rare Malvasia de Siges grape variety, which would have become extinct if it weren't for the Bartra family, producing a very rare wine with a strength that is hard to believe for a white wine.
Organic history: Certified since 1981
The Bartra family converted to organic in 1981 (CCCPAE certified in Catalonia), shortly after organic certification began in Spain.
He runs the business jointly with his cousin, who originally became interested in organic farming. Enric was influenced by his cousin and started going organic for the safety of his family, the safety of consumers, and for environmental conservation .
We are proud that by choosing organic farming, we are able to live healthier, avoid discharging pesticides into the groundwater, waste as little energy as possible, and reduce our carbon footprint.
For Enric, what makes his job worthwhile is being able to continue what his ancestors started so long ago, and to contribute to protecting the environment, safe products, and traditional manufacturing methods. His dream is to carry on his ancestors' footsteps for future generations and contribute to maintaining a fair and sustainable society.
Enric also values horizontal connections in order to popularize organic farming, and is a member of the Slow Food Association. The Slow Food Association is a movement to protect food culture that began in Italy in 1986. Enric carefully cultivates local varieties, and is also focusing on winemaking with Malvasia de Siges, a grape variety that has become a local anomaly. This is different from the Malvasia that is commonly grown in Italy, and there are only a few other farmers in Catalonia who produce it. The Slow Food Association also designates it as a variety at risk of extinction.
- White grapes: Malvasia de Siges, Macabeo, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.
- Black grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot, etc.
In total, we grow about 12 different types of grapes.
Field soil
The soil is made up of clay, limestone, sand and silica (silicon dioxide). Although it is close to the Mediterranean Sea, it is a dry region with large temperature differences, making it suitable for growing grapes.
In winter, shepherds bring their sheep to graze in the fields.
There are many types of plants that are resistant to dryness and grow slowly, such as strongly scented plants like fennel, rosemary, and ruda, as well as pine, oak, pistachio, and palm trees, and of course there are insects and animals that like these plants. Animals have different preferences, so if there are many types of plants, they won't be eaten up. Also, if one type of plant disappears, the animals that correspond to it will also disappear, so we are careful to protect the ecosystem so that as many plants as possible exist in a balanced way.
Characteristics of cultivation methods etc.
Enric, the current owner, is not only passionate about grape growing and wine brewing, but also about research. From 1989 to 1990, he studied grape growing and wine brewing at UC Davis (University of California, Davis) near Napa, a famous wine producing region in the United States, on a government scholarship. He chose a country with a completely different culture and history from familiar France and Italy. Enric's spirit of constantly trying new things such as organic and slow food is also evident in this.
As of 2008, he was also working at a wine research institute, researching a variety of topics, such as whether there was a substitute for sulfur in organic farming, the condition of the soil, how to protect the grape vines, fermentation, yeast, etc. The institute itself was not specialized in organic farming, but Enric and several other people were conducting organic research.
Characteristics of brewing method
About Malvasia de Siges…
This variety was once cultivated by the Greeks and was brought to the town of Sigges by travelers. It can only be grown here and in other places with a suitable climate, such as Croatia and Sicily, making it a very precious variety. It is a rare find that allows us to enjoy what people in the Middle Ages enjoyed in modern times. It is a long, thin grape with large gaps between the grapes, making it less productive (however, when the grapes grow large, there are air passages, a feature not found in other grapes that protects the grapes from mold and bacteria), but we are very proud to be cultivating this variety.
Although it is a white wine, it has a very strong body, and when aged, it goes well with game (pigeons, pheasants, etc.). When our staff visited, they paired it with Catalan-style paella (fideuá). Because the wine is strong, it also matches the flavor of shellfish. It is a very rare wine, with only 6,000 bottles produced per year.
From the producers to everyone in Japan
Although most of our wines are consumed locally in Spain, we are delighted to be able to share the extremely rare Malvasia de Siges with people in Japan.
We strive to create the ideal wine that is "supple, pleasant, and reflects the vineyard and the winemaker." We hope you will enjoy Vega de Ribes wines.
