Dumenge Xarel·lo Vermell

Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a day of rest for most people. However, Laia Esmel, Oriol Roig and Jaume Vilaseca, three friends from the winemaking world, took the opportunity to start their own wine project. It all started in 2019, when Oriol, a winegrower by profession, received a very special vineyard of the native Xarel·lo Vermell variety that, much to his regret, he knows will be sold off. This is when, at a dinner between drinks, his winemaker friend Laia and his photographer friend Jaume decided together to take over the vineyard and create their own wine to their taste. This was a job they had to balance with their respective professions and therefore, Sunday, dumenge in popularly spoken Catalan, was the best day to work on their project. Which is where the winery gets its name from.

Their first wine, Dumenge Xarel·lo Vermell, is an ancient method sparkling wine made from 100% Xarel·lo Vermell. It comes from a 1.5 hectare vineyard located in Sant Jaume Sesoliveres, in Anoia (Catalonia), with clay-limestone soils and cultivated using respectful agriculture. Based on the idea that the vine is the true author of wine, respectful agriculture is used, following the vine’s natural cycles. The grapes are harvested by hand and, once they reach the winery, they are selected, destemmed and gently pressed. The resulting must is fermented spontaneously with its skins in stainless steel tanks and, before fermentation is completed, it is bottled with its fine lees for 6 months.

As a result, these three friends sharing drinks and Sundays, “the Sunday wine lovers” as they call themselves, present Dumenge Xarel·lo Vermell. A sparkling wine made using the ancient method that honours a unique territory in which the native Xarel·lo Vermell variety expresses itself wonderfully.