Insider: Ariane and Rainer Paasch
Discovering Penedés wines
Ariane and Rainer Paasch are the owners of the charming B&B Arianella de Can Coral located on the outskirts of Vilafranca del Penedés in the heart of the Penedés wine region. Formerly the home of generations of an Andalusian family, the Paaschs' bought the property ten years ago and transformed it into an eight-room accommodation. Ariane and Rainer have become true Penedés patriots and enthusiastically share their knowledge of the region and their favourite places with their guests. Originally from Germany, the Paaschs' previous careers were in marketing and communications. They lived in England for some years, then moved to Spain and decided to settle here. "We've always enjoyed travelling and getting to know people, environments and cultures through places such as this. In addition, we've often talked about not being able to imagine doing one and the same thing until retirement." And that's how the story of Arianella de Can Coral began.
When asked why they specifically chose the Penedés region, Rainer says that the region's strategic location appealed to them: Barcelona is just under an hour's drive away, and the beaches and Tarragona's historical centre are an hour's drive in the opposite direction. Also, the Penedés region is still relatively unknown. "For example, everyone knows about Rioja, but they probably do not know so much about specific wineries in that region. Here it's the other way around: everyone has heard of the Torres, Freixenet and Codorníu wineries, but they hardly know anything about the region itself. And that's despite the fact that this region is undeniably one of the most innovative and extraordinary destinations in Spain for wine lovers."
In fact, Ariane considers the relative obscurity of the region to be a certain advantage. "If you go to Rioja, you'll be on well-travelled roads. But everyone who has been in Penedés has had the feeling of discovering something new and unknown to others. Also, the locals have not yet grown weary of tourists. In Penedés you can still experience an authentic way of life and meet real people -- often the owners of wineries themselves -- and they all tell honest, genuine stories. Nothing is prepared ahead of time just to please the tourists. And the small wine producers here are really doing wonderful things: reviving long-forgotten grape varieties, experimenting, making organic and biodynamic wines. Penedés is often compared to Tuscany in Italy for its landscapes, cypresses and old houses in the hills. This region is also very rich in gastronomical traditions but at the same time relatively inexpensive. And, of course, there is so much history to see here."
Ariane and Rainer guess that even if wine prices in Penedés go up due to the greater visibility of the region, visitors will still be able to discover true gems -- outstanding wines for relatively low prices.
Below is a list of five wineries -- gems -- that Ariane and Rainer believe are worth a trip to Penedés:
"Pares Balta. This is a family-owned winery producing organic wines. Very open and friendly, and also very proud of what they are doing. The father, who is around 60 years old, runs the company. His two sons met their wives at university, and the wives are currently the key to Pares Balta's success. The wives are the ones who make the wine, and the quality is outstanding! Pares Balta is definitely one of the best wineries in the region.
"Agustí Torelló Mata. This winery produces possibly the best Cava in the region. Comparing wines to automobiles, if a big winery like Freixenet is the Volkswagen or Toyota of the Cava world, then Agustí Torelló Mata wines are the Lamborghinis. Their wines are elegant and produced in small quantities, but they are nevertheless found on the wine lists of the Ritz Carlton and other luxury hotels. Agustí Torelló Mata is a family-operated business and is located in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the Penedès capital of Cava.
"Heretat Mont Rubí. This winery is owned by a married couple and is one of the most innovative wineries in the region. It produces two wonderful wines: Black and White. Black is a splendid young red wine that has received several significant awards in recent years.
"Albet I Noya. This winery has been a pioneer in ecological wine-making in the Penedès region since 1978. The owners are open, down-to-earth people who gladly chat with visitors to their winery.
"Mas Candi. Owned by four young people working on land that once belonged their grandparents, Mas Candi produces wonderful white wines, red wines and Cavas. And since they've been doing so, people have begun talking about them: "Oh, Mas Candi, they're a must!" Mas Candi does things differently. They experiment, they grow grapes differently, their methods are organic and they constantly try out new varieties. The winery's Mas Candi QX was rated as one of the three best white wines by the 2011 Catalan Wine Guide."
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