Raventós i Blanc: Why Pepe Raventós Left Cava Behind and What He's Building in Its Place
Pepe Raventós is a 21st generation winemaker who walked away from the appellation his grandfather helped build. Not out of arrogance — out of conviction. Cava, once meant to be the Spanish Champagne, had become something closer to a commodity. One producer alone controls 65% of all Cava produced in the world. The farmers growing the grapes that built that empire were getting paid almost nothing in return. So Pepe left.
What followed was a decade-long fight to prove that Penedès — a poor, rural corner of Catalonia with more than 3,000 years of winemaking history — deserves its own appellation, its own identity, and a seat at the table with the greatest sparkling wines in the world.
Along the way, Pepe planted Pinot Noir in the wrong place and spent four years figuring out why it failed. He discovered an abandoned farm nearly converted to a chicken factory and brought it back to life. He built his first experimental winery in a garage directly beneath his bedroom. He moved his family to New York City for five years, enrolled his four children in public school, and came home with a new philosophy: don't hate the players, change the game.
He pays farmers more than twice the going rate for their grapes. He is working with the Catalan government to create a new official appellation that will finally give Penedès the recognition its terroir deserves. And he has spent years championing an almost extinct red grape called Sumoll that he believes will one day rival Nebbiolo on the world stage.
This is not a conversation about Cava. It is a conversation about what happens when a rebel with deep roots decides to start from scratch.
GUEST BIO:
Pepe Raventós is the owner and winemaker behind Raventós i Blanc, Can Sumoi, and Vins Pepe Raventós — three distinct projects rooted in the Penedès region of Catalonia, Spain. A 21st generation winemaker, Pepe left the Cava DO in 2012 to pursue a vision of terroir-driven sparkling wine that the appellation could no longer contain. Trained as a social worker, shaped by harvests with Didier Dagueneau in Pouilly-Fumé, and inspired by years living in New York City, Pepe brings a rare combination of philosophical depth, farming conviction, and genuine humility to everything he makes. His wines are imported in the United States by Skurnik Wines.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Pepe Raventós and His Journey
04:54 Leaving the DO: A Family Decision
10:33 The Philosophy of Natural Winemaking
15:47 Exploring the Unique Characteristics of Xarello
21:19 Cultural Influences: From Penedès to New York
27:11 The Economic Impact of Cava on Farmers
33:50 Reviving Abandoned Vineyards and Local Communities
41:03 Balancing Passion and Business in Winemaking
50:01 The Future of Penedès Wines and Recommendations
LISTEN:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/98f06473
EPISODE PARTNERS:
We're grateful for the support of our episode partners:
▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/
▪️Glasvin — THE PREFERRED GLASS OF THE WINE CENTRIC SHOW: Use code WINECENTRIC for 10% off: https://tidd.ly/41vgdSQ
KEYWORDS:
Pepe Raventós, Raventós i Blanc, Cava, Penedès, Xarello, Sumoll, Can Sumoi, Spanish sparkling wine, natural wine, wine podcast, sommelier, winemaker interview, Wine Centric Show, Skurnik Wines, Méthode Classique, Corpinnat, biodynamic wine, Catalan wine
