Calçots and Corpinnat in Catalonia. – GAY TIMES – Gay Times Magazine

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single travel writer totally not in possession of a good – or even slight – fortune must be in want of a decent drink. Several, seeing as you ask.

Toni Torelló, co-owner of Bodega Torelló – and, as it transpires, chief sampler and, as it also transpires, new favourite person – totally got that memo. Bodega Torelló, for those familiar with the world’s more salubrious booze aisles, makes bloody good wine. In particular Cava, for which Spain – actually, if we’re being pedantic, Catalonia – is renowned. Though today we’re here to sample a whole new type of sparkling wine, Corpinnat, which is destined to be the fizz on everyone’s lips, especially if we have anything to do with it. Because, not content with producing bloody good Cava, Toni Torelló decided to up the Cava ante and create a super-Cava, if you will. One where the quality threshold was so high it deserved a name of its own. Corpinnat. Remember it. Buy it. Impress your friends at dinner parties with it. Sod them and just down it yourself.

And it all started so well, the Corpinnat tasting, the sipping and that sucking thing they do and absolutely not spitting it out because we’re not animals and the fresh tapas and the tearing off the bread just so then dipping it in local olive oil and the bons mots that got even bonnier the more we didn’t spit it out. Oh, Toni.