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Visit at Venus

Published 9. October 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Last Wednesday we had a wonderful visit to Venus La Universal in Falset, where we were welcomed by Sara Pérez and René Barbier Jr. – a very happy reunion after having met them both many years ago.

Sara, whose family is behind Mas Martinet, and René, son of the founder of Clos Mogador, established Venus La Universal in 1999. Their project has become one of the most distinctive voices in Montsant, producing wines that combine Mediterranean character with freshness, finesse and a strong sense of terroir.

When we arrived, René was preparing lunch, and we were spontaneously invited to join the family. The winery is also their home, the children were there, and the conversation flowed as freely as the wine around the table. It was a wonderfully informal occasion, offering a glimpse into a world where wine, food and family life are closely intertwined.

We tasted many delicious and beautifully balanced wines over lunch, each showing something of the elegance and individuality that characterise the estate. One of the highlights was Venus La Universal 2004, a splendid example of how gracefully Mediterranean wines can develop with age.

Venus la Universal 2004 (Venus la Universal)

Deep garnet red, with subtle brick-red reflections towards the rim. The nose is wonderfully complex, opening with ripe red cherries, dried plums and dark berries, followed by Mediterranean herbs, leather, tobacco and sweet spices, further nuances of forest floor, dried flowers and a gentle balsamic character. On the palate, the wine is beautifully harmonious, with a silky texture, finely integrated tannins and an impressive balance between mature fruit, savoury complexity and freshness. Notes of dried cherries, thyme, liquorice and earthy minerals linger through a long, elegant finish. A wine of considerable depth and refinement, its years in bottle having added layers of complexity without diminishing its vitality.

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Wine bars and restaurants and Wine of the Week

Intriguing blend from Penedès

Published 2. October 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

We spent three days in Sitges, using this picturesque seaside town as our base for a wine journey through Catalunya. One evening, we visited Hibou, a relatively new wine bar with an interesting selection of wines. Among those recommended as part of a wine flight was Les Forques 2024 from Mas Candí, that is based in Penedès.

Mas Candí was established in 2005 by Ramon Jané and his wife Mercè Cuscó, with Toni Carbó as a close collaborator. Based in Les Gunyoles, near the Garraf Massif, the estate builds on generations of family winegrowing, with a commitment to organic viticulture, indigenous grape varieties and minimal intervention in the cellar.

The wine is an intriguing blend, with monastrell accounting for half the grapes, accompanied by cabernet sauvignon and small quantities of sumoll, mandó and mònica. The vineyards lie on calcareous clay soils with gravel, near Avinyonet del Penedès, on the edge of the Garraf Massif. The grapes are harvested by hand, followed by cold maceration and spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with regular punch-downs. The wine subsequently spends twelve months in 300-litre French oak barrels.

Les Forques 2024 (Mas Candí)

Deep cherry-red colour with violet reflections. The nose combines ripe blackberries, cherries and wild strawberries with Mediterranean herbs, floral nuances, a little cocoa and gentle spice. The palate is generous and distinctly Mediterranean, yet surprisingly fresh, with lively acidity, supple tannins and a savoury, slightly mineral finish. A characterful red that balances ripeness and freshness beautifully – and a very enjoyable discovery at Hibou.

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Wine of the Week

Splendid sparkler from Conca del Riu Anoia

Published 25. September 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Few Spanish sparkling wines have achieved the individuality and distinction of Mas del Serral, the remarkable creation of Pepe Raventós.

In 2012, Raventós i Blanc left DO Cava and introduced Conca del Riu Anoia, a geographical designation rooted in the historic winegrowing landscape of Penedès. Situated between Montserrat and the Mediterranean coastal ranges, the area is characterised by calcareous soils, a Mediterranean climate and a long tradition of cultivating indigenous grape varieties. The project reflects a conviction that great sparkling wines should express the particular character of their origins.

Mas del Serral comes from Clos del Serral, a 1.92-hectare vineyard planted in 1954 with xarel·lo and the rare red variety bastard negre. Its limestone soils contain marine fossils, reminders of the sea that once covered this landscape. Pepe Raventós, the 21st generation of his family to cultivate these lands, has made this vineyard the centrepiece of his most ambitious project. Biodynamic farming, horse cultivation and meticulous attention to the vines form the foundation of the wine.

The grapes are harvested by hand and carefully selected. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by maturation and a second fermentation in bottle. Extended ageing on the lees, approximately 100 months, gives the wine its extraordinary depth and complexity. The 2015 vintage experienced a dry, warm growing season, with more moderate temperatures towards harvest helping to preserve acidity and aromatic precision.

The wine was kindly offered by the producer at a vsit last Tuesday.

Más del Serral 2015 (Raventós i Blanc)

Deep golden yellow with subtle amber reflections and a delicate, persistent stream of fine bubbles. The nose is beautifully developed, offering baked apple, quince, preserved lemon and dried apricot, followed by toasted almonds, brioche, beeswax and Mediterranean herbs. There are hints of smoke and a gentle savoury character that has emerged with age. On the palate, the wine is rich and finely textured, with a creamy mousse, lively acidity and a pronounced chalky, saline quality. The fruit has over the years acquired a mellow, almost honeyed dimension, while the underlying freshness remains remarkably intact. Long finish, with lingering notes of citrus peel, roasted nuts and a delicate mineral bitterness. A splendid sparkler from Catalunya.

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Wine of the Week

Great German chardonnay

Published 18. September 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Chardonnay may not be the first grape that comes to mind when thinking of the Pfalz, but Ökonomierat Rebholz has been working seriously with the variety for decades. The estate is based in Siebeldingen in the southern Pfalz, an area where limestone plays an important role alongside the region’s better-known sandstone soils. Rebholz planted chardonnay as early as 1988, before the variety was officially authorised in Germany, and today it is an established part of the estate’s identity.

Hansjörg Rebholz has been one of the important figures behind the estate’s modern reputation, pursuing dry, precise wines rather than the richer, softer style historically associated with parts of the Pfalz. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically, and the next generation, his sons Hans and Valentin, has become increasingly involved in the winemaking.

The R Chardonnay 2022 comes from chardonnay grown on limestone soils. The grapes are hand harvested, with part of the fruit whole-bunch pressed and another part given some skin contact. Fermentation and maturation take place in small barrels, but the emphasis is on texture and expression of the fruit and site rather than overt oak character. The wine spends a year on its gross lees, followed by a further period on fine lees.

Hansjörg Rebholz ‘R’ Chardonnay 2022 (Ökonomierat Rebholz)

Light golden yellow. Quite restrained at first, gradually opening to yellow apple, pear and citrus, with subtle herbal, nutty and yeasty nuances. The palate has good concentration and a gently creamy texture, but remains taut and precise, driven by fresh acidity and a distinctly saline, mineral character. There is an attractive interplay between ripe fruit, lees-derived texture and freshness, leading to a long, dry and savoury finish. Still youthful, with plenty of scope for further development.

Price: High

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Wine of the Week

Brilliant Bairrada

Published 11. September 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Bairrada is one of Portugal’s great regions for wines built on freshness, structure and longevity. Its Atlantic-influenced climate, combined with the region’s characteristic clay-limestone soils, provides particularly favourable conditions for baga – a grape capable of producing intensely structured wines, but also wines of remarkable finesse when handled with restraint.

Vadio is the small family project of winemaker Luís Patrão and Eduarda Dias, based around Vale D. Pedro near Poutena. The project grew from a tiny family vineyard and a desire to explore a more precise, less extracted expression of Bairrada and its traditional varieties. Today their work is centred on sustainable farming, soil regeneration and a close attention to individual vineyard parcels.

Grande Vadio is their more concentrated expression of baga. The 2021 is 100% baga, coming from old vines and selected hillside parcels; Vadio describes Grande Vadio as originating from three south-facing hillside plots, where the exposure gives greater depth, structure and complexity.

Vinification remains deliberately gentle. The individual parcels are fermented in small vessels with indigenous yeasts, with manual pump-overs and restrained extraction. After pressing, the wine goes into used 500-litre barrels for malolactic fermentation and ageing. No new-oak gloss is sought here: the emphasis is on fruit definition, texture and the naturally firm but increasingly refined structure of baga.

Grande Vadio 2021 (Vadio Wines)

In the glass, deep ruby red with a slightly lighter crimson rim. The nose gradually opens with black cherry, blackberry and wild red berries, followed by dried herbs, liquorice, a balsamic lift, subtle spice and hints of leather and earth. Quite concentrated on the palate, yet never heavy: firm, fine-grained tannins are carried by baga’s vivid acidity, with dark and red fruit, savoury notes and a restrained touch of oak. Long, dry and persistent, with an attractive tension between power and elegance. Already expressive, but clearly built to develop further in bottle.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Albillo with a twist

Published 4. September 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Las Pedreras is one of the most exciting of the relatively new projects to emerge from the mountains of Gredos. Based in Villanueva de Ávila, in the Alto Alberche valley, it was founded in 2020 by winemaker Bárbara Requejo Frutos and Guzmán Sánchez de la Parra. Sánchez de la Parra is a native of the village and comes from a family with roots in local viticulture.

The landscape here is unmistakably Gredos: old bush vines, decomposed granite and considerable altitude, producing wines in which mountain freshness often counterbalances the warmth of central Spain.

Linarejos 2024 is based on albillo real from very old vines. The grapes are harvested by hand and given three days of skin contact before gentle pressing. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by seven months in used 225-litre oak barrels.

Then comes the unusual twist. A small proportion of mature Manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda is blended into the finished wine – around 7% in the 2024 vintage. The idea is not to turn it into something resembling sherry, but to give the naturally broad and generous albillo real greater tension, dryness and length. The 2024 contains fruit from both Villanueva de Ávila and San Martín de Valdeiglesias.

Linarejos 2024 (Las Pedreras)

Slightly cloudy yellow with golden hints. The nose is complex and distinctive, with yellow fruit, dried herbs, pollen and spice, followed by a subtle saline, nutty Manzanilla character. Broad enough to reveal the generosity of albillo real, yet surprisingly fine-boned on the palate, with savoury spice, freshness and a chalky, almost salty sensation. Dry, energetic and persistent, with the Manzanilla becoming most apparent in the long, gently oxidative finish.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Textured from Estrela

Published 28. August 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

At the foot of the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s highest mountain range, lies one of the coolest parts of the Dão. Here, vineyards at around 500 metres above sea level grow on the region’s characteristic granitic soils. Altitude and considerable differences between day and night temperatures help preserve acidity and give the wines a freshness and tension that distinguish this mountainous corner of central Portugal.

Textura Wines is a family project founded in 2018 by Brazilian-born Marcelo Villela de Araújo and his wife, Patricia Berardi. Based in São Paio, near Gouveia, on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, they work organically and focus on terroir-driven wines from different vineyards and sites in the Dão. The project combines Araújo and Berardi’s vision with the winemaking of Mariana Salvador and consultant Luís Seabra.

Textura da Estrela 2023 is a white blend of 65% encruzado, 20% bical and 15% cerceal, sourced entirely from vineyards in the Serra da Estrela. The wine is spontaneously fermented in oak and aged for 11 months in used French foudres and barriques. The intention is not to make an oaky wine, but to use the wood to build texture while allowing the fruit, acidity and granitic character of the vineyards to remain at the centre of the wine.

Textura da Estrela 2023 (Textura Wines)

Medium-deep greenish yellow. The nose opens with ripe lemon, yellow apple and peach, followed by white flowers, dried herbs, hazelnut and a discreet smoky note. There is considerable texture on the palate – broad and slightly creamy, yet held together by fresh acidity. Ripe citrus and yellow stone fruit are joined by herbs, nuts and a distinctly savoury, saline mineral character. Dry, structured and persistent, with a long, slightly spicy finish. A substantial yet fresh mountain white from Dão.

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Wine of the Week

Now Corpinnat

Published 21. August 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This was the first wine I shared with the woman who is now my wife. That alone gives Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia a rather special place in my wine memory. I also shared a bottle as the 1990s gave way to the new millennium. But the wine has a story that extends well beyond my own memories – and it has just entered a fascinating new chapter.

In April this year, Juvé & Camps announced that they were leaving DO Cava to join Corpinnat, becoming the 22nd member of the collective. It is a significant move: one of the historic names of Cava has chosen a body whose rules demand organic grapes, hand harvesting, vinification on the estate and extended bottle ageing, with a strong emphasis on the traditional varieties and viticultural identity of Penedès.

Reserva de la Familia itself has a particularly charming origin. It was originally made for the family’s own table – quite literally the family’s reserve – before being released commercially for the first time in 1976. It subsequently became the house’s emblematic sparkling wine.

The 2021 is a traditional Penedès blend of 50% xarel·lo, 35% macabeu and 15% parellada, from certified organic vineyards. Only the free-run juice is used. After a temperature-controlled first fermentation in stainless steel, the blend undergoes its second fermentation in bottle and spends a minimum of 36 months ageing there, thus a gran reserva. It is finished as brut nature, with no dosage.

Reserva de la Familia 2021 (Juvé & Camps)

Bright, clear golden yellow, with a persistent stream of very fine bubbles. The nose begins with crisp apple and white flowers, before opening towards fennel, dried Mediterranean herbs, toasted almonds and warm bread. With air there is a subtle creamy, lees-derived character, but the fruit remains fresh. The palate is dry and precise, with fine, beautifully integrated mousse and enough weight to give the wine presence without sacrificing tension. Apple, citrus peel, almond and lightly toasted bread lead into a savoury, gently saline finish. Elegant rather than showy, and impressively complete – a classic Penedès sparkling wine at a fascinating moment in its history.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Beautiful brisat

Published 14. August 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Terra Alta, in the far south-west of Catalunya, is a landscape shaped by limestone, dry Mediterranean conditions and, crucially, wind. The cerç, blowing down from the interior, and the warmer garbí from the Mediterranean help keep the vineyards ventilated. This is one of Catalunya’s great territories for garnatxa blanca, a variety that has long been central to the region’s identity.

Celler Frisach is based in Corbera d’Ebre, where brothers Joan and Francesc Ferré established the winery in 2009, building on more than two centuries of farming in the family. Their approach combines organic viticulture with a determination to work with the traditional grapes and wine styles of Terra Alta.

Vernatxa 2023 is 100% garnatxa blanca – vernatxa being the traditional local name – from the Finca Quart vineyard. This has stony, calcareous soils, and the grapes are organically grown. This is a brisat, reviving the old Catalan tradition of fermenting white grapes together with their skins. After careful hand selection, the grapes ferment on their skins before the wine is matured in concrete and old 500-litre barrels. It is bottled without filtration, clarification or stabilisation.

Vernatxa 2023 (Celler Frisach)

In the glass, deep golden yellow with a slight amber hue. The nose is expressive but not overtly fruity: ripe pear and quince are joined by citrus peel, fennel, dried Mediterranean herbs and a subtle floral character. The palate has impressive texture and grip, with ripe yellow fruit, quince and aniseed balanced by vibrant acidity. There is a distinctly savoury, slightly saline and stony quality underneath the fruit, while the skin contact contributes gentle phenolic bite. Dry, structured and persistent, with a long mineral and herbal finish.

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Wine of the Week

Rosé with real drive

Published 7. August 2026 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Penedès may be best known for sparkling wine, but away from the larger cava houses there is another side to the region: old vineyards, local varieties and a growing generation of growers looking back to traditional Catalan farming and winemaking.

Celler La Salada is the personal project of Toni Carbó and Anna Serra, based around the family vineyards near El Pla del Penedès. Toni, also one of the founders of Mas Candí, started La Salada in 2012, working with vineyards that have been in his family for generations and have never been subjected to intensive chemical farming. Today the approach is organic and biodynamic, with minimal intervention in the cellar and no additions, including sulphur.

Roig Boig – roughly “crazy red” in Catalan – is certainly an unconventional rosé. The 2021 is a field blend bringing together red and white Catalan varieties, including sumoll, roigenc, mandó, cannonau, mònica, torbat, parellada and xarel·lo. The grapes are harvested by hand and the wine is spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, without added sulphur – very much in keeping with La Salada’s philosophy of allowing vineyard and fruit to speak with as little cellar manipulation as possible.

Roig Boig 2021 (Celler La Salada)

In the glass it is a striking, slightly hazy pale pink with touches of salmon and orange. The nose is immediately lively: wild strawberry, cranberry and redcurrant, followed by citrus peel, dried Mediterranean herbs, wild flowers and a faintly earthy, stony note. On the palate it is light and wonderfully energetic, with tart red berries, pink grapefruit and a distinctly mineral edge. Bright acidity gives it real drive, while a gentle phenolic grip adds texture. Bone-dry, fresh and slightly wild, with a savoury, herbal finish that makes the next sip almost inevitable.

Price: Medium

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