If you wander wine aisles (like I do) or you love a sip of sparkling wine (like I do) then you’ll be very familiar with the brand of Codorníu Cava.
Which is hardly surprising, as the producer in the Penedès region (near Barcelona) has a winemaking history dating back to the mid-1500s.
In 1872 it was the first producer to craft native grapes xarel·lo, macabeo and parellada into sparkling wine using the traditional method (the same way as champagne).
Codorníu Cava was born.
Move forward 150 years, and I’m in Codorníu’s tasting room in the hills a few miles north of Barcelona, meeting the winemaker who now champions the future of the brand, Bruno Colomer.
Let me set the scene.
Some of the Codorníu team had greeted me the night before at a restaurant within the sight and sound of the Balearic Sea, which washed against the Barcelona shore.
Yachts bobbed and people strolled.
Soot-black paella, graced with squid ink, was served as we sipped Codorníu Cuvée Barcelona 1872 Brut ( £12, Ocado) and Anna de Codorníu Blanc de Blancs (£13.50, online at thechampagnecompany.com).
Both wines were racy with flavours of zest and fresh and dried apples.
The wine Anna flirted with tropical fruit, white peach and vanilla.
(Anna’s sister wine, Anna de Codorníu Brut Cava, can be found online at Waitrose for £11.99.)
The sips were perfect, set against the evening air, seafood and good company.
Then next day, off to meet Bruno.
Codorníu very much believes in the quality of its grapes, grown with sustainable techniques.
Bruno explained: “We have to control the future and the quality of the future.
“One way to control the future is to know the past.”
The company has access to many vineyards, but each wine is distinctive.
The different quality levels of the grapes are aligned with wines which Bruno wants to create.
Says Bruno: “Style, style, style, style.
“That is at our heart.
“The quality of grapes must be the best for that style.”
That afternoon Bruno shared some of Codorníu’s prestige collection including:
Codorníu Ars Collecta Blanc de Noirs 2015 (hedonism.co.uk) is crafted from 80% pinot noir, with trepat and xarel·lo.
The flavours of raspberry, brioche and pepper last such a long time, licked by a steeliness like a wet knife.
Codorníu was the first to use chardonnay in cava blends, and in Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs Reserva (£18, Ocado) it plays a leading part.
Flavours of brioche, hazelnuts, peach and toast dance on the palate.
Codorníu also has a great portfolio of still wines.
Look out for Viña Pomal Reserva (£12.99, or £10.99 in a buy six deal at Majestic) with its crunch opf red berries, cherries, vanilla and spice.
It added fruity definition to a farewell evening meal of Spanish delights.
Follow this link to find out more about Codorníu.
The Raise a Glass feature is published in several UK regional newspapers. See “About ” me