# VN Vinel·lo Blanco (2023)

- **Producer:** Partida Creus
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Moscatel d'Alexandría, Vinyater, Pansé, Parellada
- **Region:** Catalonia, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 10.5%
- **Average price:** €21
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now
- **Serving temperature:** 7–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, orange, apple, peach, blossom, herbaceous, biscuit, bread

## About this wine

Partida Creus was established in 2001 by Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, two former architects from Piedmont who relocated to rural Bonastre in the Baix Penedès region of Catalonia. Passionate about local viticultural heritage, they spearheaded an initiative to locate and rescue abandoned or neglected old vineyards of indigenous Catalan grape varieties that had been largely ignored by official regulatory appellations. 'Vinel·lo' translates to a wine of friendship and society, reflecting their philosophy of crafting honest, easy-drinking table wines that honor local culture.

## Interesting facts

- Co-fermented sequentially from seven autochthonous Catalan grape varieties harvested days apart.
- The estate vineyards are managed naturally with the help of a draft horse and a donkey.
- Bottled with zero added sulfur and crafted specifically as a low-alcohol, highly social table wine.

## Food pairing

Light-bodied, crisp, and energetic with high natural acidity, this low-alcohol natural white shines alongside fresh seafood, salty appetizers, and vibrant Mediterranean tapas. The subtle skin-contact phenolics cut through oily fish and complement fresh artisanal goat cheeses without masking their flavor.

## Wine making process

The wine is a field blend of seven native white grape varieties harvested sequentially at early ripeness to retain natural acidity. Whole bunches are foot-trodden underfoot and undergo a brief 1-to-2-day maceration with stems included. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts occurs in stainless steel tanks, where newly harvested varieties are sequentially added to the active fermentation. The wine spends 2 to 9 months maturing on fine lees in stainless steel before bottling without fining, filtration, or added sulfur dioxide.