The members of the ARA Premium Club discover the taste and roots of peasant wine
The "ARA loyalists club" have visited two farmhouses in Calonge that make country wine and the historical center of the town, where there is a high concentration of bookstores.
A group from the ARA Premium Club has enjoyed a day in Calonge. The activity began with a stroll through the historic center of the town, just as the numerous bookstores were opening ("Calonge, town of books" is a slogan that has become popular) and when the locals were heading to the outdoor market stalls. The participants stopped for quite a while in front of a large mural by Pilarín, reviewing the main elements of Calonge it contains.
Guided by David Gràcia, a member of the Fundació Remença XXI, whose objective is to protect and promote the numerous varieties of traditional vines and wine from Calonge, they have visited, walking among vineyards, on a plain surrounded by Les Gavarres, two of the main farmhouses, where they have conducted wine tastings. Lively conversations have arisen in both tastings. Manel Comas, from Mas Ponsjoan, has highlighted the economic difficulties of maintaining a business based on making wine as it has been done for centuries, without additives - something he would not give up for anything in the world - and has revealed that he received a significant financial offer to sell the farmhouse and live off the rent, something he would not do for anything in the world.
"A few years ago, many people spoke of 'payés' wine in a derogatory way. That it was a natural wine with sediment was seen as a drawback. But now the tables have turned. Customers really value 'payés' wine, they see it as romantic. It's no longer an old wine, but a classic wine",
commented Montse Molla among the old wooden barrels that store the wine in a cold and dark environment (the windows are full of cobwebs: spiders are very useful because they eat many insects). Mas Molla's wine has prestige: El Celler de Can Roca offers some on its wine list. It's the cheapest on the list... and very good!
Finally, the members of Club Prèmium enjoyed a good meal at the Guillermu restaurant, located by the sea, specializing in seafood cuisine.
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