Raventós i Blanc

As a wine and sparkling wine producer under the name Raventos i Blanc, the company, founded in 1986, is still quite young, but the Raventos family plays an important role in Spain's winegrowing history. In 1497, the family founded a winery, albeit under the name Codorniú at the time. At the end of the 19th century, the birth of cava took place here with the production of a sparkling wine, so the name Raventos is inextricably linked to this pioneering achievement. And as the vineyards of Champagne were already being destroyed by phylloxera at the time, Cava began its triumphal march to the tables of sparkling wine lovers around the world until the destructive power of phylloxera also reached Spain. In 1986, however, the paths of Raventos and Codorniu parted in the course of a family split. José Maria Raventos' grandfather, known to friends simply as Pepe, founded a winery under the family name, taking the best vineyards with him, which quickly achieved something like cult status due to its outstanding quality. This is also thanks to Pepe Raventos, who acquired his wine skills in Bordeaux and with the Loire icon Didier Dageneau, among others. He also has a degree in oenology and viticulture. As the quality regulations for the D.O. Cava did not go far enough for the family, they simply abandoned them and from then on brought wines and sparkling wines onto the market without this designation of provenance. Nevertheless, this is precisely Raventos' aim: to produce wines that flawlessly reflect their provenance. To achieve this, the company has switched completely to organic and sustainable cultivation. Only indigenous grape varieties such as Xarel-o and Parellada are used in the cuvées for the sparkling wines, as well as the rather rare Sumoll variety. During a bike tour in the hinterland of Barcelona, Pepe also found a lonely country house with a run-down vineyard, which he lovingly restored. Here, mainly still wines with high standards are produced with great dedication, white wines, rosé wines and red wines. Today, Raventos is one of the big names in Spanish viticulture, its wines and sparkling wines are celebrated by connoisseurs and worshipped by enthusiasts.