Jaume Vial Quintana (Maçanet de Cabrenys, 1959) is a highly respected figure in the world of sparkling wine. In recent years, we've known him as the head of Bodega Mestres, famous for its long aging processes. He wore the winery's colors with such pride and dedication that many people only discovered on its centenary celebration that he wasn't the owner. "I've never claimed to be the boss. I'm a professional who had the family's trust. And I'll always be grateful for that. Every job I've taken on, I've approached as a personal challenge. I took on the Mestres challenge thinking it would be my last," he explained to ARA. But it wasn't.

The 19 producers of the Corpinnat collective brand are enjoying a boom. The brand has grown 58% in the last year, going from 12 to 19 member wineries. The last ones are AT Roca and Mas Bertran, which together alone total 400,000 bottles under the Corpinnat umbrella. At a meeting to share data on the harvest, they also provided information on the trickle of new additions. "More than ten wineries are being audited [to join Corpinnat]. We have very demanding regulations and we will be very strict with these additions," said Corpinnat's vice president, Roc Gramona, who acknowledged that there are more than they initially thought there would be. What's more, the winery that will be 20 years old will be announced at the beginning of the year, according to Pere Llopart, president of Corpinnat.

The Corpinnat collective sparkling wine brand closed 2024 with an increase in sales despite suffering a drop in the number of bottles sold, in a year marked by drought. The president of the Penedès brand, Ton Mata, has called for more support from the administrations, especially the Generalitat, especially in comparison with the wineries that are part of designations of origin (DO).