EUROPE B A R C E LO N A

Soho House Barcelona

Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, 4, 08002 Barcelona, Spain; Sun to Wed: 7am-1am, Thur to Sat: A 30-minute drive south from our Barcelona
7am-2am; Reception: +34 (0) 932 204 600; sohohousebarcelona.com @sohohousebarcelona
club, Little Beach House Barcelona is nestled
among the green and white ‘casetes’ that line
the sleepy bay of Garraf. The former 1950s
hotel has 17 bedrooms, a bar, Cowshed by
the sea and a rooftop restaurant serving
the local catch of the day.

The House looks over Port Vell marina

where La Rambla meets the sea, close
to the tapas joints and bodegas of El
Born. As well as club spaces for eating
and drinking, there are 57 bedrooms,
Clockwise from above: House
a screening room, gym, a Cecconi’s and Kitchen; a view of the House;
holiday postcards; the Beach Studio
two pools – one in the Cowshed spa and
the other on the Roof. Catch the shuttle
bus to Little Beach House Barcelona
in Garraf, only 30 minutes away.

Little Beach House Barcelona

Clockwise from top left: sunset of the Roof; a view of the marina Carrer Mirador del Port, 1 Garraf,  08871 Barcelona, Spain; Open all week, 8am-midnight
from one of the bedrooms; the Square Bar; and Cecconi’s Reception: +34 935 221 552; littlebeachhousebarcelona.com @sohohousebarcelona

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Bubbling up In the breathtaking hills and valleys of the

Penedès region, wineries are turning their backs
on cava and creating Corpinnat, a new sparkling
wine that’s setting high standards
Words by Isabelle Kliger
Illustration by Andrea Mongia

A
trip to Barcelona isn’t complete
without a glass of cold, crisp cava.
Easy to drink and more affordable
than champagne, it has a similar coarse and
complex character, but unless chosen from
a carefully curated wine list, it’s often
a sub-par ‘plonk’ that has seen its popularity
weaken in recent years in favour of its
seductive Italian counterpart, prosecco.
However, this may all be about to change,
with cava producers joining forces this year
to create Corpinnat – a new wine territory
they hope could eventually rival champagne.
Over the years, several attempts have been
made by the higher-end producers to set
themselves apart from their large-volume,
low-cost competitors, arguing that a more
rigorous selection process is required to
protect both the quality of the wine and
the reputation of the region in which it’s
produced – the rolling hills of the Penedès
region, south of Barcelona and a short drive
from Soho House Barcelona and Little
Beach House Barcelona.
Now nine leading producers have succeeded
and will no longer bear the Cava DO
(denominación de origen) label that
separates cava produced in the traditional
way from other sparkling wines. Instead,
the Llopart, Gramona, Torelló, Sabaté
i Coca, Recaredo, Nadal, Huget-Can Feixes,
Júlia Vernet and Mas Candí wineries have
formed the Corpinnat Board and see their
first vintage under the new, quality-focused
label hit the market in 2019.
So what makes Corpinnat so special?
Producers of Corpinnat must follow defined
standards when making their wine. ‘First and
foremost, it has to be made in Penedès and
produced according to a strict set of rules,
which includes manual harvest, using 100
per cent organic grapes – of which at least
90 per cent have to be indigenous varieties –
as well as no less than 18 months of ageing,’
explains Nika Shevela, a level-three WSET-
certified sommelier, cava educator and the
founder of Wine Alphabet, a communication
and events company that explores the world
of wine one letter at a time.
And while this seems like a lot of work, the
Corpinnat wineries know that agreeing to
these standards only works to grow their
reputation. ‘It’s a key priority for the group
of Penedés winegrowers to which Llopart
belongs to define our century-old sparkling
wine region and raise the profile of what’s
produced here,’ says Jesi Llopart i Llopart,
a fifth-generation winemaker. ‘Corpinnat
is recognised by the EU to distinguish the
outstanding quality of sparkling wines made
in the heart of the Penedès, from 100 per
cent ecologically hand-picked and fully
in-house-vinified grapes.’
Shevela adds, ‘Initially, it will make things
complex for the consumer who will have
to learn the differences between the
various categories of sparkling wines – cava,
Classic Penedès, Conca del Riu Anoia and
Corpinnat – many of which are produced in
the same territory. In the long run, however,
this welcome addition to the world of fine
sparkling wine will contribute to a better
showcase of high-quality Spanish wine.’
Be among the first to sample Corpinnat and
visit the stunning Penedès scenery, vineyards
and Corpinnat wineries. With an idyllic
setting in the lush countryside, Llopart’s
organic winery offers experiences ranging
from simple tours to elaborate tastings,
combining Corpinnat wine with local
gastronomy. It can also arrange transfers to
and from Penedès in a private vintage car, or
even a helicopter, should that take your fancy.

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