Albet i Noya Vineyards

A couple of friends and I came up with a clever way to reunite friends we hadn't seen in a long time. A group Whatsapp message was sent out to friends and nearly everyone took the bait. The lure? An organized visit to a vineyard in Sant Pau d'Ordal in the region of the Alt Penedès.  This area of Catalonia is popularly known for its wine and cava production. The mastermind behind this gathering at Albet i Noya vineyards was our good friend Xavi, known for his epicurean refinement, and to whom the task of finding a winery to visit was entrusted to. 

Our visit to Albet i Noya included a brief video introduction that explained the generational family history of the vineyard estate. Afterwards our guide, Anna Toledano, led us on a very informative tour and explained the different grape varieties grown and the company's dedication to produce ecological wines free of herbicides and pesticides. That noia knows her stuff inside and out. She gave us a well-explained tour of everything related with Albet i Noya's winemaking process, the experimental grape varieties, and the American louse that can devastate and ruin entire grape crops.

But this noia had a first-rate day learning about the wine production process, BUT most importantly, tasting the incredible wines produced here. We tasted eLbLanc XXV made from viognier, vidal and Marina Rión grape varieties. It was an incredible burst of aromas and flavors. Ana then served us Rión (grape variety named after the founder's wife), Belat (grape variety exclusively grown there) and  finally delighted us with a Brut Nature Reserva 3 that was out of this world. Mare meva, what a fantastic cava!

We left gay and elated with wine bottle boxes in hand. We had an extraordinary lunch in town at Cal Xim--but that's a different post. So amics, if you want to reunite friends and have no idea how to do so, wine tasting at Albet i Noya vineyards is a highly recommended choice.

Adeu!

After harvest, grapes are deposited here in the crusher.

Fermentation vats.

Their grapes are grafted onto American rootstock to combat Phylloxera infestation that can wipe out entire vineyards.

Loved this circular stone spinning by the circulating water force.

That is Ana in the middle explaining the bottling process and the exportation of their wines to Northern Europe.

Cellar

Those be my friends anticipating bottle number four.

Cava waiting for us.

Beautiful day.

That's my group waiting for other member's to finish purchasing wine bottles.

La Alhambra

The photographs of the Alhambra finally get to be posted. This place is truly remarkable aside from one of its kind. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and upon your arrival will understand why.

I remain impressed and stunned with the decision taken hundreds of years ago by Isabella I of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon to prevent the demolishment of this Nasrid palace with arabic inscriptions and preserve it instead. Charles V, unfortunately, demolished a section of the palace to build an adjacent palace in honor of his ego (my opinion). Pictures of his palace will follow in another post. 

I took pictures during our evening and day visit. If you decide to visit the Alhambra and can't decide if you should attend the evening or day time visit, I hope my pictures will help with your decision. I enjoyed both the nocturnal and diurnal visit, but if you are limited with your time, opting for the day visit is a good choice.

Advice: purchase your tickets online to avoid sold-out visits. Once purchased online, try to pick up your tickets in the evening to avoid long, long lines during the day. Bus loads of elderly and Asian tourists arrive and clog up the lines. Lastly, wear comfortable shoes to walk up the hill to the Alhambra (be in shape too!) as it is all uphill and steep. 

                                         Adeu!