Pepe Raventós is a 21st generation winemaker who walked away from the appellation his grandfather helped build. Cava had become a commodity. The name carried the wrong story. So he 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 and a seat at the table with the greatest sparkling wines in the world.

Along the way, Pepe planted the wrong grape in the wrong place, discovered an abandoned farm nearly converted to a chicken factory, and built a winery in a garage underneath his bed. He paid farmers twice the going rate. Moved his family to New York for five years. And found an almost extinct grape called Sumoll that he believes will one day rival Nebbiolo on the world stage.

This is not a conversation about Cava. It's about what happens when a rebel with deep roots decides to start from scratch.

We’re grateful for the support of our episode partners:
▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/

THE PREFERRED GLASS OF THE WINE CENTRIC SHOW
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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pepe Raventos 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 Charello
21:19 Cultural Influences: From Penedes to New York
27:11 The Economic Impact of Kava 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
54:29 Wine_Centric_Show_v1 Linked Comp 05.mp4

Tags:#PepeRaventós, #RaventósIBlanc, #SpanishWine, #WineCentricShow, #Penedès, #CanSumoi, #Xarello, #Sumoll, #WinePodcast, #Sommelier, #WineInterview, #Winemaker, #NaturalWine, #SparklingWine, #CavaAlternative

Bobby Stuckey has spent twenty years telling Americans that the most important wine region in Italy isn't Tuscany. It isn't Piedmont either.

It's Friuli.

As co-founder of Frasca Food and Wine and one of the most respected Master Sommeliers in the country, Stuckey has watched food journalists question whether fine dining still has a place in American culture. He has a clear answer: they don't know what they're talking about.

This conversation covers the wines and producers that put Friuli on the map, the real story behind orange wine, why Merlot and Chardonnay belong in Friuli just as much as Ribolla Gialla, and what it actually takes to build a restaurant culture around a region most Americans have never heard of.

One question runs through all of it: how long does a grape need to grow somewhere before it becomes part of that place?

We’re grateful for the support of our episode partners:
▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/
▪️Glasvin: Use code WINECENTRIC for 10% off: https://tidd.ly/41vgdSQ

🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into wine culture.
🎧 Listen now on YouTube + all podcast platforms
🔗 Full episode and show notes at winecentricshow.com

When the most powerful man in the world imposed tariffs that threatened to put his business under, Victor Owen Schwartz did what almost no one else was willing to do. He sued. And he won.

As lead plaintiff in VOS Selections v. Donald Trump, this 40-year wine importer took the fight from the Court of International Trade all the way to the Supreme Court — winning at every stop. 3-0. 7-2. 6-3.

On the morning this episode was recorded, his tariff refunds hit his bank account for the first time.

We get into what IEEPA tariffs actually did to an importer running on 5% margins, why Amazon blinked while Victor didn't, how a brunch he almost skipped changed everything, and what it feels like when justice stops being theoretical and shows up in your bank account.

📩 Subscribe to the biweekly Wine Centric Newsletter at winecentricshow.com
We’re grateful for the support of our episode partners:
▪️Fearrington House: https://fearrington.com/
▪️Glasvin: Use code WINECENTRIC for 10% off: https://tidd.ly/41vgdSQ
🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into wine culture.
🎧 Listen now on YouTube + all podcast platforms
🔗 Full episode and show notes at winecentricshow.com