The Vives family

Spain, Catalonia (Penedès)

Penedès, a region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain, is characterized by its warm climate and diverse topography on the Mediterranean coast. It is a culturally rich region and is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to Barcelona.

As a wine-producing region, Penedès is world-renowned, especially for its sparkling wine, Cava. Cava is made using the traditional Champagne method, using local grape varieties such as Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada.

In addition to Cava, Penedès also produces red and white wines, combining local and international varieties to produce wines with rich aromas and well-balanced flavours.

The Vives family's domain and vineyards

El Pla de Manlleu, where the Vives family winery is located, is a quiet and small village of 100 residents. The village is located in the northwestern edge of the wine-producing region of Penedès in Catalonia, Spain, and is located in the mountains of the Mandeo plateau , the highest point in Penedès .
The area was isolated, surrounded by densely forested mountains, until the 1940s, when a road was built linking Penedès' main town, Vilafranca, with the 14th-century Monastery of Santas Creus.

Of the village's 15 grape growers, 13 practice organic farming , but most of them only sell grapes to major winemakers and do not produce wine, like the Vives family.

The Cava made by the Vives family is a sparkling wine from Catalonia made using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle, the same method as Champagne. The brewing facilities were renovated during the grandfather's generation, and the family has been making Cava since 1987.

The winery is run by a family of four: Juan, his wife Teresa Olivet, their son Guillem, and their daughter Laia.

Juan is an artistic man who also enjoys drawing and music, but his favorite time is farming. He also enjoys spending time relaxing with a cup of coffee, which shows his gentle personality.

Organic History : Since the dawn of history (certified in 2003)

The Vives family began making wine at this winery in 1869, and is now in its fifth generation. In 1987, they renovated the winery and began making Cava.

For a long time, they had been growing grapes without using chemical fertilizers or herbicides, but in 1997 they began to fully engage in organic farming and obtained organic certification in 2003.

Juan believes that by improving quality through natural farming and brewing methods, he can express the original characteristics of the grapes and wine.

Organic farming has great benefits for the farm itself, as it allows the production of healthy crops while respecting nature. Juan and his team practice farming methods based on traditional cultivation methods handed down along the Mediterranean coast.

They aim to continue making wine in as natural a way as possible, and by making wine in this way, they want to encourage others to help restore the natural richness that was once lost due to pesticides and insecticides, says Juan.

・White grapes : Parellada, Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca, Chardonnay, Challero

・Black grapes: Merlot

Field soil

The vineyards cover an area of ​​8 to 9 hectares in total. The soil is calcareous, with bedrock 3 to 15 meters below ground, making it rich in minerals.

In the fields that have been cultivated by our ancestors for 150 years, we are now sowing white beans and various flower seeds to revitalize the soil. The roots of these plants soften the soil and add nitrogen.

The summers are typically sunny and dry, a typical Mediterranean climate, but the fields at higher altitudes are on average about 4°C cooler than those at the foot of the mountains and receive more rainfall.

Harvesting begins at the end of September to early October, about three weeks later than in other regions. This allows the grapes to ripen more slowly, producing good acidity and helping to preserve the grape aroma.

Because the wind from the sea contains little moisture, the temperature drops at night, even in summer, and there is a large difference in temperature throughout the day.

Characteristics of cultivation methods etc.

Juan's Cava Brut is made from Macabeo and Parellada grape varieties. The average age of the Macabeo vines is 20 years, and that of the Parellada vines is 45 years.

The Parellada variety is best suited to this land, and because of the high altitude, it ripens slower than other areas in Penedès, and produces a stronger flavor with more minerals than those from the lowlands, and an aroma like apples and pears. Négociants (winemakers who buy grapes and make wine from them) from the lowlands even go out of their way to buy grapes from this village to add this aroma.

When pruning, we carefully adjust the amount of grape production to ensure a constant level, without putting too much strain on the vines, which could result in a decline in quality.

Based on our research and experience to date, we are currently aiming for a yield of 7,000 to 9,000 kilograms per hectare.

All harvesting is done by hand.

Characteristics of brewing method

The taste of the wine you want

The Vives family's ideal is not to create the industrial, uniform, mass-produced "Cava" that is typically associated with this kind of product, but to make their own "Cava" that brings out the best in the grape varieties from the land where they live.

To achieve this, we aim to minimize human intervention and the addition of unnecessary ingredients, while respecting the balance of nature and expressing the original flavor that the wine itself desires. Fermentation is also done using only natural yeast.

Mavi sells Cava Brut, with a production of approximately 10,000 bottles per year, depending on the year's grape harvest.

Fresh, with just the right amount of acidity and minerality. The 20-year-old Macabeo vines bring aromas of pear, ripe apple, and quince, while the old Parellada vines bring a hint of soil, all of which blend together with the aromas of hazelnut and cashew nuts that are born from aging.

We focus on the freshness of our wines

When an order is received, the Vives family usually disgorges the wine that has been stored under the conditions described below, then finishes it before shipping it.

A board for propping up a slanted bottle by gradually tilting it to allow wine sediment to collect at the mouth of the bottle.

Juan's cava, with its gentle bubbles slowly rising, has the warmth of something handmade, unlike industrial products.

We take the time to remove the lees from each bottle before shipping because we want you to enjoy fresh wine above all else.

This is not the type of wine that can be enjoyed with age, so we recommend drinking it as soon as possible after you receive it.

The Vives family's wines have not won any special awards or medals, and when I asked why, Juan explained that they do not believe in participating in major competitions or having their wines listed in famous wine guides.

"We believe that it is best for wine lovers to taste our wines and make their own judgments, without being influenced by trends in the wine industry or comments from celebrities," he says.

From the producers to everyone in Japan

From grape cultivation to brewing, and finally to selling the wine that is the result of all of this, we do all of this with love, delicacy and great awareness, savoring the joy of being involved in winemaking.

And we want to move forward into the future, caring for the environment and caring for each other, to preserve the wonderful legacy we have today.

We are very happy to be able to convey our passion and the scenery of the small village of Penedès not only to those living nearby, but also to those on the other side of the world through Cava.

Please enjoy your kava while imagining the scenery of our small village, rich in nature.