Anna Espelt
Spain
Catalunian Queen who champions native grape varieties
From humble origins, Anna’s grandfather became an important winegrower in the area and she is proudly following in his footsteps, tending to the old family vineyard and running the winery since 2012.
A biologist and oenologist with an MBA, Anna really knows her stuff and she cannot wait to share a little taste of the region she calls home, Empordà, with Angels.
For her, authenticity is key and showcasing native varieties is at the heart of everything she does. Did you know Lledoner is the ancient Catalan name for Grenache? Nope, nor did we. Anna clearly has a lot to teach us and we cannot wait to learn!
Anna Espelt's Story
Anna's Story
"I am the last, for now, of many generations of Empordà peasants. My family comes from a "terraprims" area, where only vineyards and olive trees could be cultivated. And that is what I continue doing today. Biologist and oenologist, I traveled around the world to see how the wine was made and later did an MBA. In Espelt we consider ourselves winegrowers, so when I landed in the winery, the first thing I did was to devote myself to viticulture for 8 years. I have been running the winery since 2012.
My grandfather Lluís was a very important winegrower here in the Empordà, he liked research and planted a lot of vineyards. At age of 69 he decided to set up the cellar and I followed him.
Espelt is my life. The way I have to connect with my roots and with the cycles of life , taking care of a part of my land. It's great to have a job that gives people pleasure. A job that allows me to bring a bit of Empordà around the world. I strive to make more and more authentic wines, with character. Wines that convey their origin: Mediterranean, yet fresh... Wines that lead you to pour yourself a second glass.
I decided that the most important thing was to find the best "terroirs" of the Empordà, the places where the combination of land, climate, plant and who cultivates it would be at its best. Lands that were lost over the years and that we had to recover in order to get wines that show us who we are and from where we come from.
We believe in the ability of grapes to express their origin precisely. That is why we focus on growing native varieties from the Mediterranean and the Empordá: Grenache (Lledoner Blanc, Lledoner Negre, Lledoner Gris), Carinyena (Carignan), Monastrell (Mourvedre), Syrah, Macabeo (Viura) and Moscatel (Muscat). Lledoner is the ancient catalan name for Grenache and we love to keep it."
