Hasta La Ideas

Architect Alfredo Arribas’ ambitious Spanish winemaking projects

What happens when an architect turns vintner? In the case of Spanish architect Alfredo Arribas, the move spawned not just one winery but two—both infused with artistry from the wine itself down to illustrated labels, and of course the beautifully modern buildings housing them too. Based in the emerging wine-making regions of Priorat and the neighboring Montsant, Arribas’ project has been quietly breathing new life into the region starting in 2001 when he established Portal del Priorat.

After restoring the neglected terraced plots called closters, they were planted with clones of traditional grapes (Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah), as well as a few experimental varieties, which are all grown organically. Methods include densely planting the vines according the soil’s composition (mostly slate) and the topography The resulting wines bear witness to their creator’s ingenuity, winning praise from oenophiles for their lightness while still rich with complex flavor notes.

When I had the privilege of tasting some of the wines with Arribas himself (thanks to the design organization Red) recently at one fo Barcelona’s newest wine bars Monvinic, he explained that the taste of his wines is no accident but (of course) by design. His concept loosely revolves around adding what can only be described as the Arribas twist to reinvent both traditional winemaking but perceptions of Spanish wine.

Negre De Negres accomplishes the feat most dramatically with a blend of grapes that results in a mix of minerals, herbs and fruits, balanced by a freshness as well as a dense warmth on the palate. The inspiration for it, Arribas explained, was the experience of drinking young Greek wines but wanting to add something a little more complex to the profile. Somni, on the other hand, is more robust with oaks and tannins following a lightness that comes from black fruits.

While the wines from Portal del Priorat are all reds, more recently Arribas introduced Tossos, a red and a white wine resulting from expanding into the neighboring land of Montsant. Those along with an olive oil suggests there might be much more to look forward to from the burgeoning label.

Fermented honey makes a flavorful comeback thanks to an artisanal Maine producer

by Jason Reindorp

Located in a space resembling both wine shop and chemistry lab, a visit to Portland, ME’s Maine Mead Works to taste their handcrafted HoneyMaker wine is equal parts educational and delicious.

The HoneyMaker Mead uses 100% Maine wildflower honey and other locally produced ingredients, and then barrel aged with American oak. While many consider it a thick or syrupy drink, Maine Mead Works’ variety has a remarkably delicate and refined consistency. Subtle differences occur between the eight flavors not only because of their seasonally-sourced main ingredients, but because the honey changes in taste depending on when it was harvested, with spring honey yielding a lighter flavor than darker, autumn honey.

Founded in 2007, HoneyMaker Mead is created by husband-and-wife duo Ben Alexander and Carly Cope along with award-winning South African mead-maker Dr. Garth Cambray and mead maker Nick Higgins, who have a joint patent for an ultra-filtration system that eliminates more pollen, yeasts and bacteria than traditional filtration methods, resulting in a cleaner and smoother taste. The team has worked hard to bring the ancient beverage back into favor, balancing the art and science of crafting mead with choosing locally raised honey and fruits, all while aiming to become carbon neutral.

At just around 12.5% alcohol content, HoneyMaker Mead makes for a delicious after dinner drink or mixer for fruity concoctions. Popular during medieval times, mead is also thought to promote virility and fertility, which helped coin the term “honeymoon” because newlyweds would drink it for the first month after marrying.

Maine Mead Works Honeymaker Mead sells online from VinoShipper or from stores around the Portland area for $14-18 a bottle, depending on seasonal flavor.