Celler Frisach

Brothers Francesc and Joan Ferre produce superbly energetic natural wines from their 20 hectares of vines in Corbera dEbre, located in the Terra Alta region of Catalonia. For well over 200 years, the Ferre family has been growing grapes and olives in this area. Traditionally, farmers would sell off their grapes at low prices right after each harvest. One year, a large buyer cancelled their purchase at the last moment, and in 2009, the young brothers Francesc and Joan decided to produce their own wines in order to find their independence and create their own wines that properly reflect their proud hometown of Corbera. The name Frisach was the surname of their great-grandfather, and the name Ca Frisach still adorns the family home where they live.

For many years, Catalonia has had an active scene of natural winemakers, and Francesc began to taste it with eagerness and driven dedication. He spent time at natural wine fairs with other winemakers to absorb as much knowledge as possible. Travel across Catalonia and through France (especially yearly trips to prepare Paella for friends in the Jura) allowed him to broaden his vision of winemaking, and his style rapidly evolved towards less extraction and less intervention. Today, the wines are joyful, dazzling, and playful while still evolving.

The principal grape in Terra Alta is Garnatxa Blanca (Grenache Blanc), which is used for the famous white wines of the region. Frisach also farms Garnatxa Gris, Garnatxa Fina, Garnatxa Peluda, and Carinyena (Carignan). One can find many local references to the nature and history of the place on the labels - for example, the swallows on the Abrunet label (Abrunet means swallow in Catalan), and the tears of blood on the Sang de Corb label represent the sadness of the Spanish Civil War that scarred the Ebro River valley.