Vinestar Wines is one of the young projects within Vida Penedès, a collective of producers who are committed to championing their terroir and advocating a decent livelihood for local winegrowers. The project is led by sommelier Ariadna García, formerly at Gramona for several years, and winemaker Ricard Aliaga.
The venture is based on a five-hectare estate in Can Rossell de la Serra, located halfway between Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Torrelavit. Discovered and acquired in 2022, the estate is surrounded by forest and features distinctive plots with deep, silty soils rich in calcium carbonates and different surface textures — particularly pebbles.
At Vinestar, only ancestral method sparkling wines are produced —a deliberate choice rooted in the belief that this is the “most honest way to express a vineyard”, as explained on their website. Ariadna and Ricard are committed to managing every step of the winemaking process, from vineyard to bottle, which means they can only produce a limited amount of wine. They also welcome visitors for wine tours, eager to share their philosophy and show visitors the vineyards, the land and their wines.
For now, Vinestar makes a pét-nat rosé from Garnacha Tinta with a small amount of Macabeo, as well as the Xarel.lo-Macabeo blend reviewed here.
The grapes are hand-harvested and pressed as whole bunches. The must then undergoes spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a temperature ranging from 14 to 16°C, and the process is completed inside the bottle. After ageing for 9–12 months, the wines are disgorged by hand and sold with a natural cork and a staple, lending a more refined presentation than the usual crown caps.
The packaging enhances the artisanal nature of the wine with a label featuring a typeface that looks as if it was hand-drawn. A thoughtful message appears on the label in Catalan: “Hectic life and constant distractions can make us lose our connection to the essence of things. That's why Vinestar wants to explore the power of simplicity and help us reconnect with what really matters."
A clean, fresh, easy-drinking sparkling wine awaits in the bottle, with finely integrated bubbles and aromas of dried herbs, citrus fruit and yeast, leading to a finish with chalky notes and cleansing bitterness. With an ABV of only 10%, it is an ideal wine to enjoy liberally throughout the summer.
Grape varieties: Xarel.lo and Macabeo
Alcohol: 10% abv.
15 € at the winery’s website, -2024 is the current release
12,000 bottles
Score: 92
Author
Amaya Cervera
A wine journalist with almost 30 years' experience, she is the founder of the award-winning Spanish Wine Lover website. In 2023, she won the National Gastronomy Award for Gastronomic Communication
