La Forastera
– Catalunya, Spain
In 2018, the Dutch Matthias van der Sluis aka @laforastera2022 started making wine in Penedès, about a one-hour drive offshore from Barcelona. Matthias’ goal is to restore and retain old vineyards of indigenous varieties, some vineyards having been planted way back in the 1940s, others in the 1970s and 1990s.
Matthias started as a self-taught, small-scale winemaker with his first commercial vintage in 2021. The winemaking skills he acquired are supported by consultancy from region-legendary winemakers like Amos Bañeres and Ton Rimbau (Porcellànic). La Forastera wines are made without any oenological intervention (no filtration, zero added sulfites) and reflect the local soil diversities where loam, clay, and sandstone make up most of the soil formations. Matthias also experiments with many different maceration lengths, thereby showing the maceration potential of the local Xarel·lo grapes.
Parellada Ancestral is a macerated sparkling wine with a peppery, fresh, and gastronomic aperitive. Christmas Tree calling!
Cultivation (ha): 2.6 ha (Expanding to 3.4)
Production (bottles/year): 8,000 bottles/year
Varieties: Macabeu, Xarel·lo, Parellada, Monastrell, Sumoll
Approach: Biodynamic
Certifications: N/A
Sulfites: 0 added sulfites
