Vilafranca del Penedès recently launched a new tasting cycle, "Tastem els Països Catalans" (Let's Taste the Catalan Countries), at Vinseum, the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia. The series, organised in collaboration with Òmnium Alt Penedès and the Catalan Institute of Agrarian Studies (ICEA), part of the Institute of Catalan Studies, began with a focus on Mallorcan wines.
Xavier Fornos, director of Vinseum, explained that this cycle evolves from last year's "Catalunya, país de vins" (Catalonia, Land of Wines). "We wanted to expand the model to more Catalan-speaking lands," Fornos told VilaWeb. "Instead of wine experts, we invite cultural figures from these wine regions to offer a personal perspective on their local wines." The series will continue with events dedicated to the Valencian Country, Alghero, Roussillon, and La Franja.
Vinseum partnered with ICEA, currently chaired by Salvador Puig, for the wine selection, and Òmnium Cultural de l'Alt Penedès to connect with cultural personalities. Four tastings are planned each year. The inaugural event, featuring Mallorcan wines, was led by writer Sebastià Portell. The next tasting, on 23 May, will focus on the Valencian Country, with philosopher Xavi Serra and a Requena oenologist selecting the wines.
Mallorcan Wines and Literary Journeys
Sebastià Portell's Mallorcan wine tasting was a synesthetic experience, pairing wines with poems and texts by Mallorcan authors. Montse Nadal, an oenologist and lecturer at Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona and an ICEA member, proposed and commented on the wines. Portell, who enjoys reading aloud, created an emotionally charged atmosphere that peaked with the third wine, revealing a high-intensity surprise.
Santanyí: Blai Bonet, Antònia Vicens, and Son Alegre
Portell's journey began in Santanyí, honouring Blai Bonet (1926-1997), a writer, poet, and diarist whose birth centenary is commemorated this year. Portell read two poems from Bonet's 1952 book, Entre el coral i l'espiga (Between Coral and Ear of Wheat), a work from Mallorca's post-war cultural revival during the dictatorship. The poems, "Mar adolescent" (Adolescent Sea) and "Jo amorós" (I Loving), evoke vivid images of the sea and the Mallorcan landscape.
He also read a poem by Antònia Vicens, a beloved poet from Santanyí born in 1941 and recipient of the Premi d'Honor de les Lletres Catalanes. Portell chose "La meva primera llibreria" (My First Bookshop) from her 2009 book Lovely. This poem describes a small, cherished bookshop that became a sanctuary, contrasting with the family's poverty and the father's profession as a sailor and smuggler.
These sea-infused poems from Santanyí set the scene for the first wine: Àncora, from the Son Alegre winery. Its vineyards are in L'Horta, Felanitx, bordering Santanyí. This blend of Giró Ros, Malvasia, and Chardonnay was noted by Montse Nadal for its distinct marine quality and salinity. "A wine that, listening to these poems, transports us to the sea from a cliff," she said.
Porreres: Antonina Canyelles and Mesquida Mora
The second wine tasted was Sincronia, from the Mesquida Mora winery in Porreres, north of Santanyí, with vineyards in Porreres and Felanitx. Bàrbara Mesquida leads this winery, which practices biodynamic agriculture. The wine is a blend of Premsal, Chardonnay, and the recovered Giró Blanc variety. Nadal described its aroma as floral, dominated by Mediterranean herbs like anise and fennel, with an elegant bitterness on the palate.
With Sincronia in hand, Portell introduced Antonina Canyelles, a contemporary poet born in Palma in 1942. Portell highlighted Canyelles's protest poetry, which is creative, playful with words, and full of critical, luminous humour. He recited short poems from Putes i consentits (Whores and Consenting) and her latest work, Xampú xampany (Shampoo Champagne). These included verses like "Wolves, watch the child. Lest men eat him," and a poem about linguistic erosion and the body becoming "full of motorways."
Looking Ahead for Catalan Wines
The "Tastem els Països Catalans" cycle aims to continue exploring the diverse wine regions and cultural expressions across the Catalan-speaking territories. The upcoming tastings will further connect local literature and philosophy with the unique characteristics of each region's wines, offering a rich cultural experience for participants. This initiative helps to promote both the viticultural heritage and the literary wealth of Catalonia and beyond. The Catalan Countries. The series is expected to run annually, with four tastings each year, ensuring a continuous celebration of these cultural connections.
