OLIVEDA S.A & FREIXA - RIGAU, Capmany, Alt Emporda

This family wine business was founded in 1948 in the village of Capmany only a few kilometres south of the border with France. Now divided into two (Oliveda makes wines, Freixa-Rigau makes Cavas) they cultivate their own vines and buy in grapes from the local area for their DO Emporda-Costa Brava wines and from the Penedes for DO Cava. If you are holidaying in the area I can give you directions to visit not only their tasting rooms, where you will be welcomed with open bottles, but also their museum which is a fascinating display of barrel-taps, memorabilia and wood carvings.

The DO Emporda-Costa Brava (Ampurdan in Castilian Spanish) is just beginning to get recognition. For years Oz Clarke's wine guides have dismissed the area as 'producing Rosé for the beaches of the Costa Brava', but in his latest edition he says 'there are interesting things going on' in the region - this producer is the most interesting!

Masia Oliveda is a new range of fresh, unoaked wines; the red, made from Tempranillo, Grenache and Syrah is very easy-drinking.
Rigau Ros wines are the flagship range, all with different degrees of oak-aging from 6 months to two years. Presentation is superb.

The Cavas are equally well-made; a lively, medium-dry rosé which could wean Grandma off port and lemon, and the 3-4 year aged nature Mil.lessima which is made without any additional sugar, just grape must added to get the secondary fermentation going in the bottle.

For more information about this vineyard, the wines and prices, or if you would like to purchase some of this wine, please complete our on-line enquiry form