Raventós I Blanc boasts a rich history of viticulture tradition, among the longest-running in the world, and has set the benchmark in the creation of sparkling wine in Spain, for centuries. The well-established brand has become a point of reference, worldwide, for its highly effective and sustainable viticulture methods.
Located on the outskirts of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, in the Penedès region, the Raventós I Blanc estate is the birthplace of Spain’s renowned sparkling wines. The lush parcel of land comprises 90 hectares of vineyards, woods, a farm, and a lake. The winery stands proudly in the midst of the estate’s lavish grounds.
Raventós I Blanc boasts a rich history of viticulture tradition, among the longest-running in the world, and has set the benchmark in the creation of sparkling wine in Spain, for centuries.
A sparkling legacy across generations
With a documented history of viticulture that dates to 1497, the Raventós family is one of the best sparkling wine producers in Spain — they are also, without doubt, among the most innovative and exciting ones. Their legacy of sparkling wine creation goes back to 1872, officially, when Josep Raventós Fatjó created the first sparkling wine in Spain.
Currently, Pepe Raventós — the 21st generation to be working the same land — is at the helm of the estate. The dynamic and forward-thinking man honed his expertise with internships in the Loire, with the late, great Didier Dageneau, and in Burgundy, alongside Domaine Hubert Lamy.
Sustainability and biodiversity, at its core
Today, Pepe Raventós lives with his family at the vineyard, which is also home to a flourishing farm. Goats and sheep graze the vineyards, creating a thriving ecosystem.
Pepe Raventós is not only interested in the business and wine quality, but also in making what they do sustainable.
Luis Gutierrez, Spanish Wine Specialist
Altogether, the estate is a living organism, forming a single agricultural unit, where providing crop diversity and increasing local biodiversity are among the brand’s goals. Raventós I Blanc prides itself on the uniqueness of its estate: there is no other estate in the world that solely makes sparkling wine, and on which man, animals, and plants co-exist in a closed circle. From 2002 to 2010, Raventós I Blanc focused all their efforts on interpreting the nature of the estate in the most authentic and purest way possible; studying the geology of the soil with Olivier Tregoat, geologist and soil expert, as well as the orography of the land with other experts in the field.
Luis Gutierrez, Spanish wine specialist, says about Pepe Raventós: “He is not only interested in the business and wine quality, but also in making what they do sustainable.”
Exceptional terroir for outstanding wines
The fossil-rich terroir has a great deal to do with the character of Raventós I Blanc sparkling wines. The minerality and salinity that are typical of these wines is renowned, the world over. These characteristics are due to the geological history of the vineyard’s soils, once covered by the sea 40 million years ago. Over time, the River Anoia, which is in proximity to the estate, eroded the land, bringing an exceptional quantity of marine fossils to the surface. This, in turn, produced the terroir which has made Raventósi Blanc Raventós I Blanc the most mineral-rich estate in the entire world.
Born out of the desire to set high standards in wine production, the brand applies the most stringent requirements of viticulture and winemaking. These standards include the exclusive use of indigenous grapes, adherence to ecological viticulture that is 100% biodynamic, the use of estate-produced and estate-bottled fruit, and the ageing of their wines for a strict minimum of 18 months. In 2012, the estate withdrew from the Cava DO to work towards creating a new, terroir-driven appellation, the Conca del Riu Anoia, meant to rival cava.
As Pepe Raventós says: “A DO of sparkling wine in the Penedés has an incredible opportunity to succeed in the world.”
