Pares Balta

Our tour group stopped by here for a wine tour and wine tasting. Coming from the SF Bay Area, we’re blessed with Napa and Sonoma. This was my first visit to a European winery so I didn’t know what to expect.
Pares Malta is an old family-​run winery that specializes in Cava (sparkling wine), using organic farming and the process of biodynamics. They make their own compost and rely on natural methods of pest control. To help time harvesting vs planting the tour guide mentioned using the moon and stars (!?). The tour itself was educational and fascinating — from previewing their wines, visiting the fields, composting area, barrel storage, cellars, and finally the tasting room!
We tasted a white cava, a rose, and then a red wine. Pairings went with crackers, Machego Cheese, or dried salami. We also sampled their olive oil. Our gorgeous wine host gave lots of tips on serving wine and meals. She mentioned a very good snack is to dip bread in high-​quality EVOO, add salt, and then grated dark chocolate. A strange combination but I’m willing to try it!