April 2026 - Northern Spain

Featuring:

Can Sumoi

Luzador

For April we turn our attention to Spain, focusing on two regions in the North-eastern part of the country: Navarra and Penedès. These two regions are geographically unique and are known for wildly different styles of wine, however they also share many similarities. One key similarity is their proximity to a high-flying region that they, at times, live in the shadow of. We love to feature these kinds of regions. Not only do they offer a great conversation into the lesser known, but they also represent amazing value when compared to their more famous neighbors.

Penedès 

This region is located about an hour south of Barcelona, along the Mediterranean coast. It is famously known for its Cava production, however more and more still wines are coming from this area. Primary grapes include Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada - which form the basis of Cava. (Borrowing from the French, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also allowed.) Ten or twenty years ago, pretty much the only wine you could find from Penedès was Cava. The two were synonymous. However, today a ton of young winemakers - many of them second generation or more - are turning towards still blanco, rosado, and tinto wines to showcase the untapped potential of this wonderful region. Native varieties such as Sumoll and Montònega are being revived,

As mentioned above, Penedès sits next to Priorat, which has for years been the source of powerful and muscular red wines of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. While delicious, these wines have followed the all-too-predictable path of popular/available to unaffordable/collectible in just a few short decades. The up-and-coming wines of neighboring Penedès are where we prefer to find value.

As you can imagine, Penedès enjoys rather typical Mediterranean climate conditions - warm, dry summers with cold, wet (but not extreme in either regard) winters. The area is geographically diverse, with three separate sub-zones based on elevation - Baix, Medio, and Alt - Penedès. The highest vineyard sites, capping out at 2800ft above sea level, are the coldest, while the lowest, around 500ft, is warmer and drier. As is the trend in many regions, the coldest region has the lowest yields but makes some of the highest quality wines, while the mid-elevation is where the bulk of the production lies. 

Soils in the Penedès region consist primarily of sedimentary soils from both continental and marine sediments. It is poor-quality, with a varied mix between clay, sand, and rock. Unlike traditional farming, though, poor soil is a benefit for quality wine grapes as it makes the roots dig deeper and struggle, resulting in lower yield and higher concentration of flavors.

Cava, being the primary product of Penedès, is obviously a big part of the conversation here, but we will skip the specifics since this club is focusing on still, dry wines from the area rather than the ubiquitous sparkling. One thing worth mentioning is that the Cava industry has brought both prosperity and modern technological thinking to the area quicker than many other regions of Spain. The region has famously pioneered many sparkling winemaking techniques, most notably the gyro-palette, which automated laborious riddling for classic method sparkling wine. In the context of still wines, it was also the first region in Spain to embrace techniques like temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for long, slow fermentations as well as marketing organic-grown grapes.

Can Sumoi, ‘La Rosa’ Rosado, Penedès 2023

Can Sumoi is the passion project of Pepe Raventós, a several-generation winemaker behind the celebrated and historic Raventós i Blanc winery. This project represents a turn of course from the Raventos wines, which are fantastically made, elegant Cavas. The Can Sumoi project is founded on three pillars - organic and biodynamics in the vineyard and cellar, native varieties from old vines, and vineyards worked only by hand or animal - no tractors. The Can Sumoi estate is an incredible 1000-acre estate, with (just!) 75 acres planted to vines and the remainder left to natural forest of oak and white pine. A 350 year-old farmhouse sits near the center of the vineyards. The property sits in the upper range of the Medio-Penedes, at 600meters above sea level (~2000ft).

This is one of the wine projects that is about far more than just the wine. The Raventos family, being established in the Cava trade for centuries, could have easily planted 10x the acreage to vine, streamlined production, and maximized their profits. But that is not the mindset that drives and motivates them. Instead, Can Sumoi is entirely about regenerating the land through farming and living in harmony with the surroundings. Their team is not made up of high-profile viticulturists with degrees, but rather humble farmers who hail from the countryside. By giving power and autonomy to the people whose families have been tending to the land for generations, the Raventos family achieves something that many other agricultural entities couldn’t (and wouldn’t) even dream of.

This wine, ‘La Rosa’ is a singular blend of Sumoll - a dense, dark native red grape - and Xarel-lo - a crisp, high acid native white grape. Sumoll, which makes up 60% of the blend, is notoriously tannic and structured. It produces rustic profiled reds, with dark bramble fruits, plum, licorice, and herbal notes. Young Sumoll reds can be notoriously rough due to their tannins and higher acid, so many producers choose to age them extensively before release. In some ways, it is comparable to Nebbiolo, but trading the lifted, high-toned aromatics of Nebbiolo for denser, more savory fruit. In this cuvee, the Sumoll sees an incredibly brief 2 hour cold soak with the skins (a fraction of what other Rose wines may see). Xarel-lo, the remaining 40% of the blend, is a crisp and acidic white. It is best known as one of the three components of Cava. Both varieties are naturally fermented in stainless steel tanks and bottled in the spring.

The resulting wine is crisp but textural - aromatic notes of red currants, underripe strawberries, savory herbs on the nose and a touch of melon and citrus on the palate. It is medium bodied, with bright acidity and a nice long finish. This is the perfect springtime wine, so save it for one of those upcoming 75 degree days and give it a nice chill. You’ve earned it.

Navarra

Navarra can sometimes be considered the younger sibling to the esteemed and celebrated Rioja. Geographically located next to one another, the two are more-or-less separated by the Ebro River (though as some map lovers will see, there are parts of each on both sides of the river). Navarra lies mostly to the northeast, towards Pamplona and the Pyrenees, while Rioja lies to the southwest, towards Madrid.

Historically, Navarra has been known as a region for primarily Rosado (Rose) wines from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. This has been changing in years past, as more and more growers are following in the well trodden footsteps of their neighbors in Rioja by planting Tempranillo. Being relatively close to Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon and, to a lesser extent, Merlot are also quite popular. Still, Garnacha makes up 65% of vineyard area and rosado still accounts for nearly half of the production of the region.

Geographically, Navarra sits in a bit of a valley between the Pyrenees mountains - where the border with France is - and the Sierra de la Demanda - where Rioja is. The region averages at about 750-1000ft of elevation and sees moderately continental climate with some elements of both marine and mediterranean climates (due to the proximity to the Atlantic ocean just north along the Basuqe coast). The region is so varied climatically that there are actually 5 sub-zones - Baja Montana, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Ribera Alta, and Ribera Baja. 

Navarra wines are admittedly a bit tricky to find in the US, as the export market has historically focused on the heavy hitting regions we mentioned above. With amazing Rioja being available for rather cheap, not many importers feel a need to focus on less-esteemed wines right next door. However, this is and will continue to change as more and more Navarra producers continue to produce interesting, singular wines that try to tell the story of Navarra, rather than duplicate what could be seen as “Rioja-lite” or “Bordeaux-espana”.

Luzador,  'Los Andreses' Garnacha, Navarra 2024

Luzador is a joint project between the Andres Sisters, a powerful winemaking duo who make wines across northern Spain, the Serrano Arriezu brothers, who own and operate a winery in Rioja, and La Luz Selections, an import company operating from New York and our very own Portland, OR. Six individuals - three women, three men, coming together to make this wine. ‘Luzador’ is a word for a warrior of the sun, someone who fights for the light. We think it is a fitting name for this joint venture. (For those curious about the Portland connection, John House of Ovum Wines and Alberta’s Les Caves is one half of La Luz Selections).

The estate is a 40 acre biodynamically farmed parcel in the Ribera Alta subregion, the central part of the Navarra region. It is situated at about 950ft above sea level on soils with clay and limestone soils. The vines are tended rigorously, using biodynamic preparations that are made on site with herbs and compost cultivated on the property. The estate grows Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinto & Blanca, and Sauvignon Blanc.

This wine is composed of 75% Garnacha and 25% Tempranillo. In the cellar, clusters are destemmed but not crushed and left to ferment with native yeasts. The two varieties are blended then left to age overwinter before bottling the following summer. 

This wine is zesty and punchy due to both the Garnacha and young Tempranillo. Notes of cherry and pink peppercorn jump out of the glass, with pomegranate and thyme also in the mix. The spice of the nose also comes across on the palate, playing well with the fine, yet grippy tannins. It has naturally high acidity, so could definitely use some food. Our preference would be to open this with some grilled or smoked meats and vegetables - think skirt steak with salt and pepper or a slow-cooked pork shoulder. Or, if meat isn’t your thing; well-roasted vegetables to the point that they get a nice smoky char - just make sure there’s some good fat to cut into those firm tannins!