Author

Ramón Francàs

Posts by Ramón Francàs

Many wines have a story to tell but very few have a story like theirs, according to Jean Leon, the famous bodega in the heart of Penedès, Spain. Its founder, Jean Leon, a native of Santander, opened a restaurant in Beverly Hills and became a Hollywood celebrity. At the company...
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Cava is part of that elite set of the most exalted sparkling wines in the world and is arguably the one which represents the best value for money.  The cava industry is 'cracking open' a new era with changes in all its institutions, determined to raise the bar of quality,...
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What future lies ahead for Cava?

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After breaking new international sales records, positions in the Cava industry are divided between hope and uncertainty. This is a time of change for the Cava industry still being very much driven by international sales. Consumption in the domestic market, on the other hand,...
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Champagne in Cava territory

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The consumption of Champagne in Spain has fluctuated somewhat over the last five years due to various factors, the most important of which, according to the Champagne Bureau in Spain, has been the international and Spanish economic crisis "which has affected Spanish consumption habits".  Spain has gone from 4.5 million bottles consumed in 2007, to...
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Despite the deep-seated economic recession, the Priorat Qualified Denomination of Origin achieved record sales figures for last year. Turnover increased by a significant 30% in the year 2011 (850,000 more bottles), and attained a record total of 3.78 million bottles, with the...
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape The saying goes that there are lands touched by God's hand where the fruit of the vines becomes a blessing. Among these lands 'chosen' by divine hand, you could not fail to include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) with a...
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Josep Roca Fontané (Girona, 1966) has the methodical view of one whose daily task it is to describe the pleasure-creating machine that is El Celler de Can Roca to his customers. It is he who speaks of drinks and culinary delights, describing and presenting them: the power of the...
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The consumption of wine at home continues to fall. The national average now stands at 9 litres per person a year. During 2011, according to the Spanish Wine Market Observatory, new decreases were recorded: of 1.2% in value and 1.6% in volume. Faced with this picture, wineries continue to sharpen their wits with the focus on imaginative marketing...
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