Ciudad Condal
Bringing Cava to Switzerland
TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS © CIUDAD CONDAL
Have you ever tried a sparkling wine which spent more than a hundred months ripening? Well this might be your chance. Thanks to Zurich-based company Ciudad Condal, the delicious Catalan sparkling wine, Cava, is now readily available in Switzerland.
Cava is still relatively unknown in our regions, but Ciudad Condal is slowly but steadily changing that, one bottle at a time. One of the top Cava producers is the family-run winery Jaume Giró i Giró. It is based just 50 kilometres outside Barcelona, in an area known for its Cava tradition. With five generations of experience, it should come as no surprise that their Cava has a worldwide reputation.
Ramón Giró i Gramona, the current head of Jaume Giró i Giró, has been close friends with Frank Merten from Ciudad Condal for some decades now. Frank shared his love for the premium bubbly with his friends and now business partners Doris Pemler and Marlise Rechsteiner. In 2017, they took a leap of faith and turned their passion into a thriving business. Today, Ciudad Condal also sells premium extra-virgin olive oil and is an official partner of BCN Gin and Vermouth in Switzerland.
Like Champagne, Cava is fermented in the bottle, which distinguishes it significantly from other sparkling wines such as Prosecco. “Typically, Cava is a cuvée wine. This means it is made of a mixture of different grape varieties from Catalonia,” explains Doris Pemler. “We offer Cava made of just one single variety such as Xarel.lo or Trepat, which is quite special and usually hard to find.” A few years ago, Jaume Giró i Giró became EU-certified organic – another important factor for the team at Ciudad Condal.
A true highlight is the Grandalla. Ramón Giró i Gramona wanted to capture his fond childhood memory of the beautiful daffodil fields in Andorra – in a bottle. The result is flowery, fresh yet gentle, with a soft scent reminiscent of jasmine and daffodils. The Grandalla de Luxe Reserva Brut 2008 is as special on the outside as it is inside: precious Swarovski® stones decorate the metallic labels.
Needless to say, this Cava has quickly gained a fantastic international reputation and the Grandalla Silver just received a Gold from the prestigious Expovina as ‘Best Spanish Sparkling Wine’.
Fancy a special glass of bubbly? You now know where to find it.
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