👅 THURSDAY DAYDREAMING MATERIAL – PARTIDA CREUS, ARCHITECTS GONE ROGUE 😈

Morning winos,

Megan here, aka Dan’s sub-par replacement. Getting less and less sub-par by the day though, T-minus two weeks until my wine exam. If you see me kicking around the bar with a glazed look in my eyes, it’s because I’ve had my head stuck in a textbook for the last three months. Please say something nice if you do see me, like, 'good luck', or 'your hair looks nice today'.

So the plan for this email was to promote our Partida Creus tasting, but you lot are so speedy that it’s actually sold out already. Therefore the revised plan for this email will be either a) to get you ticket holders even more hyped for the event, or b) for those of you who missed out, to encourage you to get your act together and move faster next time. I’ll also point you in the direction of their wines so you can drink a bottle while you think about your life decisions.

Partida Creus’ story basically represents every person’s dream: sacking off your day job and running off into the Catalonian sunset to make wine. If that isn’t your dream, get a better dream. Antonella and Massimo used to work as architects in Turin before they turned their hands to winemaking. I know a lot of architects – seven of my roommates in first year uni halls were architecture students, and architects have followed me around ever since, talking about timber and tender and the fact it takes them twelve years to finish their degree – so I feel fairly qualified to say that Antonella and Massimo made the right decision.

And they don’t just make any old wines. Partida Creus devote their time to hunting out parcels of forgotten grape varieties native to Penedès and bringing them back to life. Heard of Garrut? How about Sumoll? Probs not, and if you have, you’re either a) a wine nerd or b) eternally in debt to Antonella and Massimo for putting them on the map. Their winemaking follows biodynamic principles (the moon and the stars, don’t plant grapes if you’re a Scorpio, etc) and is minimal intervention, using only wild yeasts and not filtering or fining their final product. As for SO2, forget about it. They don’t wanna know. Apparently the locals call them ‘the crazy Italians’. Which, rude, but probably mostly affectionate. I personally can’t wait to meet them, and I bet you can’t either.

If you’re one of the unlucky ones who didn’t snag a ticket, here are some ways you can make up for it. Their BN wine, for starters, which is a blend of Macabeu and Cartoixa Vermell (Macabeu and who?!), and is savoury, saline and eminently smashable. Or why not give their SK a try, an intensely aromatic Moscatel (okay fine, I have heard of that one) with flavours ranging from peach to tropical fruit. Saucy! If you’re more in a red mood, snap up the TP, full of red fruits and Mediterranean vibes, which will sit very nicely next to your Tuesday night pizza. Or chill down their BB, a lighter, more fragrant interpretation of the traditionally weighty Bobal. Not convinced? Then get the GT. Dark fruits, spice, intensity – one for when you’re feeling all moody and emo and want to stare out of your bedroom window watching the rain trickle down the glass, pretending you’re in a music video. Just me? I know it’s not just me. ALL OF THEIR GEAR IS RIGHT HERE.

That’s all for now folks, I have to go learn about fortified wines. Pray for me. If you’re not praying for me, who are you praying for?!

Ily xoxo

Megan