Cristalino

The winery behind Cristalino, Jaume Serra, was founded in 1943 by distinguished enologist Jaume Serra Guell. It is located in the Garraf subdivision of the Denominacion de Origen Penedés, the largest wine growing area in Catalonia. Jaume Serra lies within the “El Padruel” estate in the Mediterranean Coastal town of Vilanova y la Geltru, some 50 kilometers south of Barcelona,. Wine making began on this property in 1947. The winery underwent renovations in 1984 and then again in 1997, after the J. García Carrión family purchased the property.

The white varietals of Parellada, Chardonnay, Macabeo and Xarel-lo are grown in Jaume Serra's vineyards situated in the Alt Penedés, a sub region of the Penedés, and are used to produce the area's famous sparkling wines, called "Cava". By law, Cava must be made in the Methode Champenois or Champagne Method. Due to European regulations prohibiting use of that term, Cava is now labeled as Methode Tradicional, which has the same requirements with an added stipulation that cava must age for a minimum of nine months on the lees before release. After researching local yeasts, the Jaume Serra winery has taken the extraordinary step of importing their yeast from Champagne, France in order to impart the finest quality to their Cavas.