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Unveiling Josep Maria Albet i Noya, Founder of Albet i Noya

30/10/2024 Winemaking

Josep Maria Albet i Noya is renowned for being the pioneer behind Spain's first organic winery. While today, ecology, biodynamics, and organic production are commonplace, in the late 1970s, few understood their significance. Undoubtedly, he is a visionary who laid the groundwork for more sustainable viticulture in his country and continues to be a trailblazer with his commitment to resilient and indigenous grape varieties adapted to climate change. His "savoir-faire" blends ancestral techniques with modern technological advancements, serving as a beacon of inspiration for future generations. Let's delve deeper into his challenges, achievements, and unwavering dedication to organic viticulture.


1- As a fourth-generation winemaker, your vocation is in your blood. But when did your ecological awareness emerge?
I developed ecological awareness as I grew and matured. When I was 16, my father passed away, and at 20, my grandfather. Until then, they were responsible for slaughtering the animals we raised and consumed on the farm. When it fell to me to take the lives of these creatures, I found it profoundly distressing, decided against it, and consequently became a vegetarian. My love for nature and animals was the initial catalyst for my firm commitment to ecology.

2- Exposure to different working methods in Europe opened up a new world for you. What impacted you most during your training abroad?
Indeed, when I began traveling and attending wine fairs, I noticed that abroad, those involved in importing, distributing, and selling organic wines were young people like myself, discussing similar issues, dining together casually, paying part of the wine costs upfront and the remainder within 30 days without delays or the need for reminders. Here, it was far from the case. It was through traveling that I realized there was another way to do things.

3- As the producer of Spain's first organic wine, what pros and cons have you encountered as a pioneer?
Leading something teaches you that you can only rely on yourself and those you train around you to delegate and grow. You must constantly select your team, guide them, and instill your way of doing things. You must learn to handle criticism and let time set things right; persistence, patience, and the ability to read between the lines of what's happening in the wine world are essential.

4- Fortunately, organic wines are now a reality. Moreover, in the quest for minimal intervention, natural wine has become the new trend. Do you think we're at the same point as when you started with organic wines, or do you believe sulfite-free wines will be a passing fad?
Natural and minimal intervention wines are an option for some small wineries, just as organic wines once were for Albet i Noya and others. I believe both natural and minimal intervention wines are here to stay, but I also think time will sift through them, as it did with organic wines. Currently, there are too many natural wines that aren't good enough; wine should be a pleasurable experience for the consumer, not something that makes people grimace or get used to unpleasant flavors as if it were a remedy. But I insist, time will do its selection, and the best will remain.

5- Another major concern in the sector is the effects of climate change. Your winery is fully involved in the VRIAACC project (Resistant and Indigenous Varieties Adapted to Climate Change). Could you explain what it entails and its benefits?
The VRIAACC project represents the next leap forward in viticulture and oenology; it's about reclaiming the natural selection we should never have abandoned in favor of clonal selection. I took the first steps in this direction in 1996 (28 years ago) with Dr. Pierre Basler (Switzerland), and when I saw the immense possibilities this line of work offered to viticulture, I had no doubt we should pursue it. Consumers value quality, price, and increasingly, foods free from any residues (copper, sulfur, etc.), and these three requirements are only met by the resistant varieties being selected and developed worldwide by universities and official research bodies in viticulture. Consumers will greatly enjoy the wines from these varieties, and so will the winemakers, as both will work and enjoy much cleaner and healthier environments. Personally, I have the great privilege (along with a dozen oenologists and technicians) of working in these vineyards, tasting these 600 wines we produce each year, and I assure you, glimpsing the future through a small window is an adrenaline rush few things can surpass.

6- Whites, rosés, reds, sparkling, and sweet wines… With such a broad and varied portfolio as Albet i Noya's, which wine would you currently identify with the most and why?
Each year, certain wines captivate you in a special way. Currently, from Albet i Noya's wines, there are two that have stolen my heart: one is Efecte Brut Rosat (100% pinot noir); I believe we've never crafted a sparkling wine as exquisite and spectacular as this, with a liveliness and freshness that gives you goosebumps. The other is Curiós Xarel·lo (100%), which, despite being a very affordable wine with countless versions in all Penedès wineries, has a universal expression of what xarel·lo is, with complexity and a balance of acidity and maturity. As my grandmother would say, it's a wine that "goes down well," meaning you never have enough, you always want more, I love it. For me, it's a pride to make such a wine from the over 50-year-old vineyards we have spread across the 20 hectares of xarel·lo in the Ordal Mountains, in this charming corner of Penedès.

7- During your presidency of the Penedès Denomination of Origin, which lasted 8 years, 10 zones within the territory were identified. What makes the Ordal mountains a unique subzone?
The 10 subzones are unique because they are different, which is why they were delineated as such. The distinction of the Muntanyes d'Ordal lies in the fact that we are on the slopes of these mountains, which are the transition zone between the mountains and the plain; they are terrains with slopes where we apply mountain viticulture, with terraces and much shallower soils than on the plain, and for this reason, they can accumulate less water, and the vines produce less, concentrating more energy in the fruit. They express more of the karstic minerality of Ordal and capture aromas from the surrounding pine-covered mountains and scrubland vegetation.

8- Innovation is a constant in your career. Have you tried your luck in another terroir outside Penedès?
I have owned or been involved in wineries in Priorat (Mas Igneus with Josep M. Pujol-Busquets), in Rioja (Osoti, with Juan Carlos López de la Calle), in Navarra (Urubi), or in Alicante (with Gaspar Tomás), where we were always the first to cultivate and produce organic wines. But a few years ago, when my son Martí joined Albet i Noya, I decided to focus solely on Penedès.

9- At Albet i Noya, you also strongly support wine tourism. In your opinion, what is Penedès' main attraction for visitors?
We are a very open and peaceful vineyard landscape just 40 minutes from Barcelona and also 20 minutes from the sea. The type of fresh wines and sparkling wines we produce in Penedès, very much in line with new trends, is complemented by a local gastronomy that's finger-licking good and a host of professional and friendly people who enthusiastically welcome visitors.

10- With your son in the winery, the fifth generation is now fully operational. Do you think the new generations have it easier or harder compared to when you took over the project?
They have it just as challenging, but in different ways. Circumstances have changed at all levels, but they have the advantage of being much better prepared professionally and can benefit from my generation's experience. They have other tools at their disposal that they must learn to use. They don't have it too bad, but they can't afford to be complacent. Climate change and geopolitical evolution are causing and will cause changes that are very difficult to predict and digest. However, there's no choice but to adapt and find a way to ride these waves with pleasure, seeking good company for this journey.

11- Young people still tend to prefer beer. What can the wine sector do to win the battle and attract new generations?
I believe the VRIAC varieties (Resistant and Indigenous Varieties Adapted to Climate Change) and Piwi (fungus-resistant varieties) present a good opportunity to offer zero-residue wines, with impeccable quality and a different profile from the current one, which I would say is more suited to the tastes of young people entering the wine world. Also, non-alcoholic wines can offer a new option for these consumers, although I think, for now, these non-alcoholic wines will be produced by large or very large wineries, as they are essentially more akin to a soft drink than a wine, and will be more associated with industrial production rather than medium and small wineries well-positioned qualitatively and focused on more mature consumers.

12- We're sure your greatest hobby is viticulture, but when you're not working, how do you like to spend your free time?
I really enjoy light mountain biking (that is, relatively good paths and not too difficult trails), reading books, political opinion articles, watching films and some series, dining with my partner, my son, or good friends at fine restaurants, traveling in an electric car, visiting wineries and beautiful places, birdwatching… quite a lot, isn't it?!

13- Finally, could you name a wine that has recently pleasantly surprised you and why?
I'm enamored with a very special wine I make some years at the winery, which isn't for sale, only to gift to friends. It's a sweet botrytis wine from our experimental VRIAC vineyard. It doesn't have a commercial name yet, though we call it Las Mil y Una, because it's made from over 1,000 varieties. As we haven't applied any fungicide treatments in this experimental vineyard for 12 years, when we have a rainy September, noble rot appears, creating this miracle of complexity in these wines, even more so given the multitude of varieties. We press it with a vertical hydraulic press that takes an entire day and night to extract 300 liters. Then we let it rest in an old oak barrel, and two years later, we bottle it in 37.5 cl bottles. A delight for friends and myself.