Raimat
Raimat is today Spain's biggest wine producer. The history started in 1914
when Manuel Raventos, boss at the cava producer Codorniu, bought 3500
hectares of land outside of the town of Lerida. It was an arid, stony and
wild landscape. Before the phylloxera there had been wine growing here,
but of lesser quality and when Raventos bought the land there was no vines
left. He knew that there were an irrigation channel being built from
central Spain, which was part of his equation. He also understood that the
soil structure needed improving and he started an immense project that was
to take 60 years (planting of forests...). The first vintage was made in
1978. Now they make a wide range of wines: from good to very good wines
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The probe is pushed down into the grapes and sucks up a small sample of the grape juice. The grape juice/must is then quickly analysed for sugar contents etc. This may in some cases affect the price paid for the grapes
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The main entrance to the old winery at Raimat, built around the turn of the century (1800 / 1900) in the typical Catalonian Modernista style. Building in poured concrete was new and the gigantic vaults inside were an experiment in what the new material could do
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Building in poured concrete was new and the gigantic vaults inside were an experiment in what the new material could do
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