Tag: Barcelona

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Freixenet, Spanish Cava

Freixenet, a Spanish Cava, is known as a pioneer in many ways. They were the first to use black and yellow bottles and the first to use French methods to create their Cava. Currently, their botanists manage and develop fully sustainable vineyards.

In 1889 Pedro Ferrer married Dolores Sala, whose family had been making wine since 1861. At that time, they decided to convert from still wine to making sparkling wine. Their first bottle was released in 1914.

The name Freixenet comes from Pedro’s nickname of El Freixenet, named after his family’s ranch La Freixenet. It means ash tree grove in Catalan.

History wasn’t kind and their success was not an easy road.

America’s flirtation with prohibition stalled the blooming export market for their Cava. Later, the Spanish Civil War took the lives of Pedro and his eldest son, both captured and never seen again. Yet, despite the tragedy and setbacks, Dolores Ferrer and her three surviving daughters resurrected the company.

In 1957 Dolores handed the reins to her son, José Ferrer who initiated progressive (and first-ever in Spain) techniques such as pressing grapes pneumatically, using refrigerated tanks to control fermentation, and proprietary yeast cultivation. In the 1970’s he introduced, against the advice of his peers, the black bottle Cordon Negro. 

During our visit to Freixenet, we learned more of their history.

Who drinks the most Cava?  Germany, followed by the United States.

The yeast Dolores identified decades ago is the most suited to making quality Cava. Guess what? It still survives. The winery dedicates an entire lab and warehouse-sized facility to the production of this yeast.

Gloria Ferrer, wife of Jose Ferrer, owns one of the world’s largest glass flute collections. She has over 2,000 individual flutes from all over the world. She is also the namesake for their California-based sparkling wine company, Gloria Ferrer.

There are three main grapes in Cava. Macabeo, paralleda, and xarel-lo. Producers are allowed to use nine grapes including pinot noir, chardonnay, monastrell, grenache, malvasia, and trepat.

Cava is made in the same way Champagne is made, with secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle. Even though the methods are the same, the taste profiles are noticeably different.

Visiting Freixenet is similar to visiting Champagne houses, yet at the same time quite different.

Reservations must be made in advance. Our tour started with a brief history of Freixenet and then we were led down several flights of stairs. At each level we noticed a decidedly cooler temperature. In all, we descended 20 meters.

Once at the bottom, we boarded a tram to continue our tour. Riding through the narrow winding caves lined with dusty bottles of Cava, it was clear this is a huge operation. Every where we looked were stacks and stacks of bottles.

Every so often we would see broken bottles on the floor. Our host explained that some bottles just explode before they are ready. I can’t imagine what that must sound like.

Our tram took us underground past barrels and production, arriving back to street level. The best part was yet to come…tasting four different types of Cava. A great end to a wonderful day.

If you are in the Barcelona area and are interested in Cava, this tour is well worth taking. For times and reservations, check out https://www.freixenet.es/en/wine-tourism/freixenet-wineries/visit-the-wineries.

If You Go: Freixenet is located at  Plaça Joan Sala, 2, 08770 Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona, Spain. We took the train from Barcelona, about a two-hour ride. It’s an easy side trip.

Find out more exiting places to experience wine at https://travelsandescapes.net/

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Park Guell…No Straight Lines

 “There are no straight lines or corners in nature. Therefore, buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners.”  Antioni Gaudi

That quote rings true when you walk through Park Güell in Barcelona.

Park Güell was commissioned by Eusebi Güell who wanted to create a stylish park for Barcelona aristocracy. When he acquired this large estate in the late 1800s, he deemed it the perfect place for a park worthy of his wealthy clientele. After all, the views looking out over the sea and all of Barcelona were unbeatable. His plan was to design and then sell the plots.

He hired Antoni Gaudi, a practitioner of Catalan Modernism. Gaudi already had built or was in the process of building a wine cellar in El Garraf, the church of the Colonia Gruell, Palacio Güell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, work on the Nativity façade and crypt of La Sagrada Familia. Quite the architect.

His vision was that the 60 triangular plots with their complex network of roads, viaducts, and stairs would wind through the estate. All this while working within severe restrictions. Only one sixth of the entire plot could be built and he had to stay within the height requirements, so he didn’t disturb the views of other residents.

Gaudi respected the existing vegetation, like carob trees and olive groves. When he introduced new species, he chose Mediterranean plants. He also devised systems for collecting and storing water from the cooking systems he learned as a child.

All good ideas.

However, the complex conditions of the sale of plots, old contracts, the lack of adequate transportation, and the very exclusive character of the urbanization made it unfeasible. In the absence of buyers, the works were abandoned in 1914. Only two of the 60 planned houses had been built. The park thus became a large private garden, which Güell ceded for public events. At this time, it began to appear in the tourist guides of Barcelona as one of the attractions of the city.

Eusebi Güell died in his house in Park Güell in 1918 and his heirs offered the park to the City Council. In 1926 it was opened as a municipal park. The house of the Güell family was qualified as a public school, which took the name of Baldiri Reixac pedagogue.

Thanks to the work of Gaudí’s Friends, Gaudí’s house at the Park Güell opened to the public as a Casa Museu Gaudí in 1963.

Park Güell thus became a public park highly valued by the locals and an important focus of attraction for visitors. It was recognized as an artistic monument in 1969 and was declared World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1984.

Walk around. It’s not hard to imagine this as a planned urban development. Views are spectacular. I mean…who wouldn’t want to live here?

At the top of the park is a terraced area where you can view the entire park and Barcelona. Take some time to sit on one of the many vibrant, multi-colored tiled mosaic seats. They look hard and not very comfortable. Just sit. The way they are constructed provides a delightful seat with just the right amount of back support.  Trust me, you’ll want to sit here and enjoy the afternoon.

Gaudi’s use of colored tile is everywhere. I do mean everywhere. I love the famous Gaudi dragon fountain at the entrance. Everyone wants their picture taken with it.

Try to envision yourself living here. Even in the early 1900s, this would have been the place to be. It’s that special.

Every time we thought we had seen it all, something new caught our eye. As we left, we meandered through the central walkway, supported by twisting rock pillars that appear to be growing right out of the ground. It was easy to see how Gaudi used nature in his design. It’s evident throughout.

We planned on spending a couple of hours here. It stretched to more than that.

If You Go: Park Güell is located on Olot street in Barcelona. To reach in the most convenient and practical way in the Monumental Axis three accesses are recommended: the one of the street of Larrard (main entrance), the one of the highway of the Carmel, no. 23, where there is also the car park for tourist coaches, and a third, the one from the pass of Sant Josep de la Muntanya, which is accessed by escalators. Be prepared for a lot of walking.