Article published on September 9, 2016 in LF Inspires
Lucas Fox sponsors the 42nd ‘Festa de la Verema’, Alella
September truly is the most wonderful time in Spain. It’s still summer, but not incendiary which will come as blessed relief after the unrelenting heat wave this year has brought, the crowds have dispersed and festival season is beginning. You’ll find witches in Cervera, oysters in L’Ametlla de Mar, craft beer in Sant Joan de Mediona, and the end of harvest wine festivals all over, though our particular favourite is the Festa de la Verema in Alella on the 9th, 10th and 11th of September.
“Now in its 42nd year it is a great opportunity to visit one of the Maresme Coast’s most beautiful towns. The food and wine fair on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings has always been the highlight, offering wine tastings, champagnes and culinary specialties of the area. But its just part of the three days of festivities. There are also fireworks, art exhibitions, children’s activities, live music and much more.”
— Tom Maidment, Partner Lucas Fox
Outside of the show grounds visitors can sample taster menus in each of the town’s restaurants paired with wines from each of the town’s vineyards. It’s a great way to get to know the region in culinary terms and and one of the prettiest towns outside of Barcelona, where shady plaças are demarcated by smart, stone townhouses and handsome modernisme manors, while sturdy masias – many of them with traditional restaurants – are hidden among the pines and vineyards that stretch all the way down to the sea.
As Catalunya’s smallest D.O. (Denominación de Origen), Alella is also, to our minds, one of the best for crisp, refreshing white wines with lots of fruit up front balanced by a streak of saline minerality and a lip-smacking acidity. That’s thanks to the local grape Pansa Blanca, which flourishes with the land and the sea right up close.
This year the event will be overseen by Paco Solé Parellada of the legendary 7 Portes restaurant in Barcelona, with wine tastings led by respected local sommeliers: Rosa Vila, Montse Velasco and Carlos Puñet. They’ll also be putting together guided tours at many of the wineries throughout Saturday finishing with a 3 hour long homage to the Pansa Blanca grape with various activities, tastings and food pairings at 9pm. Sunday kicks off with a hearty breakfast botifarrada (sausage fest) at 9am, followed by a parade of gegants (giants), more tastings, a final correfoc because, lets face it, who doesn’t love a correfoc and to cap it off a round of havaneres (sea shanties) with obligatory ron cremat (flambéed rum). This is definitely one to make an annual tradition.
For further details see www.alella.cat/festaverema
