Cosmic Vinyaters is a tale of two Catalan regions: Alt Emporda (the village of Agullana) and Baix Penedès (village Sierra de Montmell). These two landscapes are connected with the one focus by Salvador Battle: to produce pure wines with the lowest intervention and the highest respect for its natural and energetic origin.

Salva comes from a viticulture family based in Baix Penedes where they work 22ha of vineyards, selling the fruit to larger wineries. Salva began making wine in his late teenage years. He studied agriculture, viticulture, winemaking and solar energy. In 2011 to improve his English, he travelled to New Zealand before returning to the Penedès in 2012. But Salva and his father butted heads, and so in 2013 he found a cellar in the small town of Agullana, Emporda, 15 minutes from the French border, that came with a few hectares of vines. Ultimately what he wanted to do was not be an extension of his parents but rather, to forge his own destiny. 

In Emporda his focus is on the local varieties of Carignan and Grenache, and all colours of these varieties. The vineyards are at 250-350 meters altitude, 20 kilometres from the Mediterranean. The  6.5 hectares here are farmed organically, following biodynamic principles.

One of the first vineyards he started working with was planted to Carignan Blanc. "It is a fresh variety, with a lot of acidity and structure but it has always been ill-treated. It has been in this area for 300-400 years but it is not recognised by the European Union,” explains Salva, but, he points out that international varieties are fully accepted in the area. "It's a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately a lot of things happen because decisions are made in offices and they forget about tradition and the terroir".

Since arriving to the region, Salva has focused his energies on re-grafting the international varieties that were planted in the 1980s with local varieties, planting new vineyards and recovering abandoned older vines. In 2017 he planted in the village of La Vajol. At 600 metres altitude, it is the highest vineyard in Emporda.

In Penedès he works with varieties that are best adapted to the terroir and the climate. He manages 4 hectares on his family’s estate and works closely with their neighbour, Joan, who has 80-year-old Macabeo under vine. Whilst Sauvignon Blanc perhaps is more suited to cooler latitudes, at this altitude of 650 meters, it is perfectly adapted. The soils are compact clay and limestone, Cabernet Franc and Sumoll thrive in them. 

“I am an old school farmer and grower: I work the vineyards, I produce the wine, I sell it and I close the circle. What's important is the quality of my wine, that it evolves well and that people like it,” insists Salva.

His first customer for the wines was Celler can Roca, and up until a few years ago it was difficult to find these wines outside of Catalunya, Tokyo or Paris. These are wines that sing with salinity, minerality and freshness. As Salva likes to say “ultimately, wine is a pleasure”.