Going 'Cro' & the speed of Corpinnat
Year 16, No. 05
Highlights: Croatia 2026 Report | Dalmatia 2026 Report
The very last line from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off popped into my head when finishing to write this newsletter, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
The reason being that here in these fine, early days of spring, I’m usually all set to release the latest Croatia Report which this year, is accompanied by an extensive, Dalmacija Report. More than just my having familial links to these regions, I find them very exciting with a constant drive to innovate given that they had to completely rebuild after the collapse of Yugoslavia. There were many key people in this work and sadly, one of those heavily involved in this work and who I knew very well, Alen Bibić, died last week. (*)
But this year of tastings and visits proved no different in terms of uncovering innovation. In addition to the stalwart reds of the coast from Dalmacija and Istra being exciting, I’ve really taken to the whites of these regions, as well as the sparkling wines. It’s the latter that seems to have seen a great deal of development in the past year as they’re literally trying to make sparkling wines from any grape variety there is. Some of it doesn’t work and some of it does very well. A rosé sparkling wine from: Trnjak, Vranec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah? Why not?!!
Regardless, I’m sure it will continue to evolve and all of it will sell if priced well as there is a very thirsty audience during the blustery summer months.
That isn’t however the reason to choose the nuclear option and invoke a Ferris Bueller quote as the same day I was preparing to send this out, an event came to pass which has upended the sparkling wine scene in Spain, yet again. Juvé & Camps, one of the most esteemed producers in DO Cava, has announced that they are leaving Cava to join the Corpinnat. (*)
Is this news at the level of the original five leaving DO Cava back in 2019? In many regards, yes, as the production of Juvé & Camps will nearly double that of Corpinnat and it will lend even further strength to the association in terms of being the quality sparkling wine name to remember in Spain. At the same time it pulls a huge segment of quality sparkling wine away from DO Cava. It is, Big News.
I had actually scheduled to do a new tasting for this year’s Corpinnat report towards the end of March, but quite suddenly the directors of the association asked to postpone it a month and now I can see why. While that delays the report slightly, it also is a tremendous step in terms of the evolution of sparkling wine for the territory and it’s clear to see why these wines are such an economic driver for Catalan wine. (*)
Thus, April is already moving “pretty fast”. I swear I’ll look around any moment now.
Drink well, be well.
-Miquel
(*) Free to read