The Corpinnat sparkling wine brand extends for the first time to Baix Penedès: from July 1st, the Mas Vilella winery, owned by producer Albert Jané, will begin to label and market the two sparkling wines it produces, a rosé and a white, under the Corpinnat name. “I asked to be able to join Corpinnat in 2024, when I started producing them because my philosophy aligns with it, which means hand-harvesting, organic vineyards, integral winemaking, long aging, commitment to historical varieties, owned vineyards or long-term contracts with a minimum guaranteed price for the grape grower, and annual external audits,” explains Albert Jané, who adds that he will sell each of the two sparkling wines for twenty euros.

I interview Manuel Raventós i Negra (Barcelona, 1947) in the library of the family estate, at Raventós i Blanc, located in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. The winery is majestic, with a circular architecture, respectful of nature and of the great oak tree, today propped up, which is the emblem of the house, of all the labels of the sparkling wines they produce. Codorníu is linked to his personal and family history, which he has studied in great depth. Manuel Raventós is a wise man, who knows the country well, from the cultivation of tomatoes and rice in the Ebro Delta, where he worked for years as an agricultural engineer, to the functioning of the economy – he worked at La Caixa (now CaixaBank) for 25 years and was part of the governing bodies of companies with shareholding participation from La Caixa, such as Abertis, Repsol or Aigües de Barcelona.

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.

Christmas celebrations are full of little traditions: the aperitif that always lingers, the indispensable bowl of wine, or that toast that welcomes the new year. And each of these scenes has a common denominator: a glass of wine to accompany the moment. This guide reviews the sparkling wines from Llopart that can transform these familiar rituals into even more special memories.

If water is the drink that quenches thirst, and science says so, sparkling wine makers add that bubbles also help with that. Milestones for sparkling wines.