In praise of the common good

Alan Nance finds a familiar friend waiting at the end of an otherwise disappointing wine list

Gramona Imperial 2019

Corpinnat

Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Parellada, Chardonnay

12% ABV

€26.75 from Decántalo

Widely available, both in Spain and beyond

You know what they say: in a restaurant with a good wine list you're almost certain to eat well too, but don't assume that the presence of good food is a guarantee of pleasure in a glass.

The food in the new-to-me restaurant was indeed good. A hybrid of Catalonia and the Basque Country, reflecting the origins of the couple who ran the place, the menu was based around classic dishes interspersed with seasonal and local produce (the smoked Pyrenean trout proved to be a well-chosen starter, and the tronco de merluza a la donostiarra I ordered was cooked to perfection). The wine list, by contrast, was a masterclass in disappointment: heavy-hitter reds, a couple of big-brand Albariños and a trio of best-avoided Cavas. But there was a saving grace, two words at the end of the list that brought a smile to my face: Gramona Imperial.

As the bottle drained over lunch it struck me, not for the first time, that we owe a debt of gratitude to producers like Gramona. For aside from all their efforts in terms of environmental stewardship in the Penedès, they have crafted across generations a portfolio of wines that includes bottles like the Imperial, a sparkler beloved of wine lovers that—praise be to Bacchus—can also be found far and wide.

As such, there is little need to speak of its aromas of white fruit and flowers, of that subtle hint of brioche laced with citrus (more clementine than orange), of the energy it conveys with every sip. This is merely my palate, my experience, and it likely differs from yours.

So let us simply raise a glass to what it is—a fine wine for one and all, an emblem of the common good.