Siscu Martí: "Why can't I produce a sparkling wine that falls under the Cava DO in Esparreguera, but they can in La Rioja or Extremadura?"

BarcelonaSiscu Martí (Esparreguera, 1956) is a farmer, a winemaker at the family estate of Ca N'Estruc, in Esparreguera, and co-owner of the largest wine distributor and shop in Catalonia and the State, Vila Viniteca, which distributes seven million bottles and has a turnover of 11,500. More than thirty years ago he and his friend Quim Vila, whom he met one day at a wine tasting, decided to open a wine shop on Agullers street in Barcelona, Next to the La Teca grocery store, the Vila family business, where they sold cheeses, fruit, vegetables, and in a small space, winesSiscu, who owns three other wineries—the Siscu winery and two others in the Rueda DO and Madrid—handles the financial side of the wine business. On January 8th, they will open their website, Vila Viniteca. Registrations for the new Pairs Tasting competitionThis year's wine tasting event in Barcelona, which in recent years has sold out in just a few hours, is one of the initiatives of Vila Viniteca that Siscu is excited to co-organize with Quim Vila. He personally provides the notary each year with the names of the wines that the participants will have to guess.

You were born in Esparreguera, and you live there.

— I was born on an estate, Ca N'Estruc, where we have records of winemaking dating back to 1500. I still have the documents, which were translated by the monks of Montserrat. When I was twenty-seven, I suggested to my father that we stop making bulk wines, which we brought in demijohns as we always had, and start making good wines. I suggested we find a winemaker to help us, and he agreed. The first bottled vintage was 1983.

When you start as a producer, is that when you meet your partner, Quim Vila?

— We met almost ten years later, in 1991, at a wine tasting on Bruc Street in Barcelona, ​​at the now-closed Bruc Nature. Afterwards, I went to La Teca and sold him my wines. We had a system of bartering. I would give him my wines and he would trade them for spirits. And that's how we became friends until, in 1993, we opened Vila Viniteca, the wine shop, together. Since the Vila family had their grocery store next door, we decided to keep the Vila name. We own 50% of everything we do, and we have clearly defined roles. I handle the staff, invoicing, logistics, administration, and the organization of the three wineries that we own outright. Quim is in charge of the commercial sideCommunication and marketing. And we've been doing it for thirty-three years.

I'm asking you about these three wineries, which are yours.

— The first is Ca N'Estruc, which used to be mine, the family's, and now belongs to both of us. It's part of the DO Catalunya, and we produce a total of nine wines, both white and red. In addition, my eldest daughter, Anna Martí, makes two or three natural wines (depending on the year, the quantity varies), which are called Ca N'Estruc BI.

The other two wineries are in the Rueda and Gredos DOs. Why not in Catalonia?

— Because our focus has always been on the world's great wines; we're not limited by location, but by quality. We're also fascinated by the world's great cuisine, like cheeses made all over the globe. Then we had the opportunity, the desire, and the enthusiasm to establish a winery in the Rueda DO, which, since 2025, has been 100% ours. It's organically produced, and we manage it ourselves. The same goes for Gredos, where we have fifteen hectares, and we've also taken the reins to produce our own wines. We're on our own.

Why didn't you want to make wines in the DOQ Priorat or in Montsant, to name two of the twelve designations of origin?

— Because we're very good friends with the winemakers, from these two DOs and others. We distribute the wines of Álvaro Palacios and Sara Pérez.Ester NinSo, what are we going to do there, in the middle of them? It doesn't make sense for us to set up shop; we didn't seem to have the space. Vila Viniteca grew with the same gastronomic boom in the 90s, which is roughly when some of the DOs we've been talking about were created. We joined in, and it's been a great success, because we created a distributor of fine wines for haute cuisine. And, in addition, we have three wineries.

Do you receive orders from wineries to make wines?

— No, quite the opposite. We've done it the other way around. We've collaborated with regions, producers, and some wineries to make wines. This part is a lot of fun. Quim comes up with the names for the wines and tells me, "Siscu, register that name, I've already got it." I take care of registering it, and also of the production and financing.

I'm asking you about numbers. How many people work at Vila Viniteca? How many bottles of wine do you sell of the hugely successful wine you made in the Rueda DO, El Perro Verde? How many stores do you have in total?

— Four hundred people. We started in 1993 with four: Quim, two assistants, and me. Del Perro Verde is our best-selling wine by volume. And we produce half a million bottles. This is the amount we made of the 2025 vintage. We sell them all, which is the essential condition for making them. The price of each bottle is €11.95. We have three shops in Barcelona and one in Madrid.

Changing the subject. Does each wine reflect the winemaker's personality? Let me put it another way: Sara Pérez's wines reflect who she is.?

— No. I think the land shapes people's character, and then they reflect that character in the wine. I'd say that when winemakers walk through the door at Vila Viniteca, I already know what they'll be like. Those from Burgundy are farmers, organic, they feel the land, they're very connected to it. Those in Bordeaux are large expansesThey're dressed in blazers and ties, with pocket squares. We don't know who's in charge and who's just selling. When we go to visit, in Bordeaux they want to show us the winery and the suits they're wearing; in Burgundy they want us to see the vineyards.

In Priorat?

— They have that character that comes from the slate, a tough character, but at the same time, they're people who want to have fun. To put it another way, and you don't have to take it literally: the less attractive people are more likeable than the attractive ones because they have to sell themselves. The rugged women of Priorat are tough, but they're eager to have a good time. They know how to defend and promote their territory effectively.

In Rueda there isn't much of a sense of territory.

— No, but it's the most consumed wine produced, because it's an easy-drinking, sensitive, aromatic, and light wine. These wines age very well. If wine consumption is declining, these wines are perfect for sharing because they're lighter. This is the current trend, and we already had it figured out: easy-drinking white wines that pair well with all kinds of cuisine.

Have you considered creating bubbles?

— We don't want to enter the sparkling wine market because we're friends with everyone. In 1993, when we started, we were embarrassed to say we had a winery, Ca N'Estruc, where we made wine. Over time, we've come around because we've become friends, but we don't want to get into it. Many winemakers come through Ca N'Estruc; it's like a showroomwhere we meet and taste bubbles, but we don't want to take the next step.

What do you think of the three brands of food processors that coexist in our house? DO Cava, Corpinnado and Classic Penedès.

— I never would have imagined that Corpinnat would bring together so many top-tier wineries, and even less so, that it would do so with such an unusual name: Corpinnat. I think they will achieve Qualified Designation of Origin status because they meet all the requirements. Meanwhile, the Cava DO will become less prominent. What I mean is that the horse will get on the saddle. I don't know if you understand what I mean by the comparison. Corpinnat is doing very well both in Catalonia and beyond. They have championed the product outside the region and have done a great job. Corpinnat even sells well in Madrid, while the Cava DO hasn't. By the way, a lot of champagne is sold in Madrid.

And why?

— Because the Cava DO was waiting for them to come looking for them, and Corpinnat went out and did. I mean, even Julio Iglesias didn't wait at home; he went out to find success too. Corpinnat rolled up their sleeves, and with great rigor and professionalism. And then there are some curious situations. Why can't I produce a sparkling wine that falls under the Cava DO in Esparreguera, while Valencia, La Rioja, and Extremadura can? All of this makes me think that the Cava DO will fade away in Catalonia.

Finally, Siscu, you once explained to me that you have set an age for retirement.

— I'm sixty-nine now; Quim is sixty-two. We met in our thirties. We love our work, and I have a great role model at home: my mother, Francisca Badia, who's ninety-two and doing very well. She also enjoys wine. We've set ourselves the goal of continuing for another ten years, doing the work we love.