From the tendency to adopt the English word, even though the Catalan one already exists to designate the same thing, not even a drink as traditional as wine escapes it. In Catalonia, the production of white wines fermented with the skins –and sometimes with the grape stalks– has returned with force, which can present a striking orangey hue. This is how whites used to be made in past times and in Catalan they are called "vins brisats" (brisated wines), because during their production "brisa" has been used, which is the residue left after using the whole grape during production. However, even here they are often identified as orange or orange wines."An English word seems to be more common", asserts Marc Picanyol, author of the book Amb pells. Guia dels vins brisats de Catalunya (Cossetània, 2025). Accustomed to moving around Barcelona, Picanyol sees how orange proliferates among the wine bars –another expression that may be making inroads instead of wine bars–, both perhaps a result of the increase in the number of expats that the Catalan capital hosts, but he does not resign himself to this trend. He has written the book to publicize the increasingly extensive Catalan heritage of brisats –among the main references for these wines are Georgia, Slovenia, and northern Italy–, but also to "normalize" the word brisats. In his opinion, there is no doubt that it is much prettier than orange: "To me, vi brisat sounds a thousand times more attractive than hearing orange wine".When defining what a "brisat" is, there is no consensus. It may even be that a "brisat" and an orange" are not always the same. Picanyol details that the concept of orange wine likely arose to identify orange-colored wines, but over time it has become more open and at least in Europe it is now used more generally for wines made with white grapes that ferment with their skins. In the book, he has included all those Catalan wines that have fermented with skins for at least three days, although some would find it essential that it also be done with the stems or for a longer period. Be that as it may, Picanyol has named the book Amb pells" because "it is the only point where everyone agrees" and with it he aims to promote still minority wines. "Outside of us, of those of us involved in the world of wine, people don't know what they are," he states.Even so, in recent years Catalan "brisats" have multiplied. The book is a very exhaustive work that incorporates 137 wineries that produce them, but Picanyol has already located about thirty more that do not appear yet. Wineries have produced new ones and do not always communicate that they make them: there are many "brisats" in which it is not stated anywhere that they are, and hence the relevance that there is now a hitherto unprecedented guide that collects the majority of them. Often they are produced by small wineries, they are of low production and are included within the so-called natural wines, so they may not have added sulfites: they are wines to which it is appropriate to be natural, because fermenting with the skins and the stems can help protect the wine from oxidation.

Paula Cuenda (Badalona, ​​1998) is the best sommelier in Catalonia for 2026. This was announced yesterday, Monday, by the jury that met in the auditorium of the Fòrum Gastronòmic in Girona, who examined her in several tests, three in the morning and four in the afternoon. In one of the final tests, the three finalists were not allowed to choose any wine from the twelve Catalan designations of origin to pair with the dishes presented to them. "I found it odd that they didn't let us choose any wine from Catalonia, because we have so much diversity, we have some very good wines, and it would have allowed for a lot of pairing possibilities with the dishes," the winner stated.

The English Alliance is one of the great food houses in the country. Its history has had three partsThe first, brilliant chapter, belonged to chef Lluís Feliu, who—along with his brother Josep managing the dining room—transformed their grandparents' bar into a restaurant that earned a Michelin star in 2008. On Christmas Eve 2013, Lluís passed away, leaving a huge void. A good person, a good chef, who had worked wonders from the small town in the Selva region, was gone. Six months later, on June 17, 2014, his two daughters, Cristina and Marina, reopened the modernist double doors of L'Aliança. They wanted to continue the path of their father and uncle, who had also joined them in the first few months. And this is where the second chapter of L'Aliança began, with popular dishes that brought the restaurant back to life. Currently, the third chapter of its story is led by chef Àlex Carrera and head of service Cristina Feliu, who together achieved the Michelin star in 2019 when Álex had only been part of it for a few months

I fully agree with the words of the director general of Incavi, reported by colleague Jordi Bes, speaking of the fact that wine consumption is stagnating. Wine needs "less solemnity and more shared emotion," says Joan Gené. And he also says that Catalan wine is at its peak, but that "one in five consumers doesn't know where the wine they're drinking comes from, and in the case of young people, it's one in four." He attributes, of course, this decline "to the growing pronouncements and policies promoted by governments and organizations, such as the WHO," which consider that "there is no alcohol consumption with zero risk to health."

Wine faces major challenges ahead. Added to the challenge posed by climate change for grape cultivation is the decline in wine consumption. While some indicators suggest that Spain is one of the few countries left out of this global trend, the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) has estimated that global consumption will fall to 214.2 million hectoliters in 2024, 3.3% less than the previous year. This figure represents the 9% decline in the 19th century, and the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine (Incavi) wants to reverse this trend.

As an editor, do you find any connection between your approach to books and your approach to wine?

The journalist Albert Rigol explained it in the ARA: finally, European wine exported to the United States will be subject to a 15% tariff., following the agreement between Brussels and Washington.

In 1905, in the heart of Palafrugell, Joan Miquel y Avellí proudly looked down on his cork stopper factory. He had opened it just five years earlier with the help of two German partners, Enric Vincke and Pau Meyer, and the money of a Hamburg banker. The four shared an excellent business acumen and were convinced that cork could make them gold. They were right. The factory grew at a dizzying pace and, by 1910, was already one of the largest in Spain, employing 1,000 people and producing one million corks daily. However, wars and fierce competition reduced revenue until the plant was shut down. Today, the Modernista-style building houses the Cork Museum, a space that celebrates Catalan cork heritage.

I interviewed Pantea Group wine consultant Xavi Nolla on a Wednesday afternoon, two hours before the sparkling wine tasting he will co-lead at the Público restaurant in Barcelona (Enric Granados, 30). He is a sommelier and also makes wines from various denominations of origin, such as Terra Alta, DOQ Priorat, Alella, Empordà, and Roussillon. Since he first launched his Vinos de la Memoria (Memory Wines), as he named them in 2018, they have become benchmarks in a winemaking style that engages with the winemaking practiced in Spain before the 1970s. They are fresh, saline, mineral wines in which the variety with which they are made is clearly evident. Above all, the story behind the wines stood out, wines dedicated to his grandfather, who fought on the Republican front in the Battle of the Ebro, was imprisoned in two concentration camps, and was finally able to resume his life. "If it hadn't been like that, I wouldn't be here," says Nolla.