With stops in the wine regions of Cigales, Costa Brava, Napa Valley, Ribera del Duero and Rueda, 2024 has been a year of diverse discoveries. One of those discoveries was the 2019 Aires de Garbet which we are excited to announce as the 2024 Wine Destinations’ Wine of The Year. If you read our latest feature “Perelada Crafting Wines That Awake Your Curiosity” you might have seen this one coming.

Every wine lover, critic or publication has different criteria for how they select their wine of the year. For us, we solely base our decision on one criterion: which wine showcased the profile of a varietal in a way that we have never experienced before. That was the case of the 2019 Aires de Garbet which is crafted from Garnatxa Negra grown in Finca Garbet, a hillside vineyard perched on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Finca Garbet’s exposure to the Mediterranean sun, the slate soils found in the terrain and the Tramontana winds are the inspiration behind the name Aires de Garbet which translates into Winds of Garbet. The vineyard is located in the Denomination of Origin of Empordà in Spain’s Costa Brava region. The 12-hectare vineyard was planted in 1997 and it is one of Celler Perelada’s five distinct vineyards.

The 2019 Aires de Garbet transformed the way we think about Grenache. We found the wine to be both fresh and intense with an abundance of elegance derived from ripe and round tannins. The way winemaker Delfí Sanahuja and his team were able to highlight the freshness and boldness of the fruit in such a harmonious way is something to commend. The wine was aged 15 months in second use 300 liters French Oak barrels. Unfortunately, this delicious beauty might be an elusive one to find outside of Spain as it is produced in small quantities. 

 If you are looking for a Holiday gift for the wine lover in your life this one will most likely impress. Just make sure to let them know that they can only open it when you are with them.