Vins de la Memòria is a deeply personal project conceived by sommelier Xavi Nolla, a poignant tribute to his grandfather, Agustín, and the enduring legacy of the Spanish Civil War. More specifically, Nolla’s work serves as a memorial to those, like Agustín, who endured the brutal Battle of the Ebro in 1938.
Agustín, an Andalusian miner who migrated to Barcelona in 1927, was conscripted and subsequently immersed in the conflict’s most harrowing engagements. His grandson, Xavi, channels this familial history into a viticultural endeavor that explores the intersection of terroir and memory.
This project centers on the revival of indigenous Catalan grape varieties – Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Peluda, Trepat, and others – sourced from old-vine parcels, many of which predate the 1930s. These vineyards, located across DO Terra Alta, DOP Priorat, DO Conca de Barberà, DO Alella are not simply geographical markers; they are landscapes imbued with history, places where the echoes of the past still resonate. They are vineyards that were walked by Agustín and his comrades.
