It started with a pickup in Sitges, the sea still fresh on our skin, the sun sliding west. We were met by Anatoly and Oleg, the duo behind Sitges Wine Club by Copas Llenas—two wine lovers from St Petersburg, Russia who traded city life for vine-lined roads and the rhythm of Mediterranean terroir. What began as a passion has grown into a full-time venture: they curate wine menus for boutique hotels, advise chefs and restaurateurs, host events, and most memorably, guide guests through artisanal wine experiences that feel more like cultural storytelling than simple tastings.
That afternoon, we were heading into the Costers de l’Anoia, just outside Sant Sadurní d’Anoia in the Penedès region—to visit a producer they know well. The kind of place you don’t stumble upon without someone like Anatoly or Oleg showing the way.
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A legacy among the vines
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Just outside Sant Sadurní, the land turns wild. Evergreen oaks lean into the hillsides, deer roam the undergrowth, and tucked between them lies Vins el Cep, a 15th-century masía with weathered stone walls and a story that winds back through generations. It’s a place where wine is still made with feeling, not just science.
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We were welcomed by Monica—an energetic host with encyclopaedic knowledge and theatrical flair. She brought the history of the estate to life: how the families once lived in the masía, tending vines by day and aging wines in vast concrete tanks below. Today, they produce cava and still wines with remarkable care—pioneering organic and biodynamic viticulture in the region, with every process deeply rooted in place.
In the cellar, we tasted cava aged for 84 months, its fine bubbles softening into something elegant and expansive. We sampled “Brisat” orange wines—textured, bold—and sipped from bottles fermented in French oak and concrete eggs, each bringing a different voice to the wine. As Monica poured, she wove in local traditions—the vi bullit harvest ritual in September—a traditional practice of boiling grape must to honour the season—the four fires, and the etched markings that symbolise identity like a vintner’s fingerprint. It wasn’t a lecture. It was a performance, and we were front row.
Anatoly and Oleg shared some of their favourite bottles, elaborating on the tasting notes and how they first discovered Vins el Cep. I found myself appreciating the contrast: a deeply rooted Catalan winery, seen through the lens of two passionate curators from another country. It made the experience feel both grounded and surprisingly fresh.
The quiet charm of wine curation
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Anatoly and Oleg stayed close throughout—not leading, but enriching. They offered stories between sips, context between courses, references to other producers, dishes, aromas. Always generous, never didactic. It’s what makes their approach so compelling: a quiet kind of expertise that puts the experience first. They felt like a natural extension of the winery itself—seamless, informed, and entirely unforced. Nobody likes a sales-driven travel experience, especially when it ends in a shop. This was something else entirely.
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Maite Esteve, the CEO of Vins el Cep and a member of one of the founding families, joined us at the end to say hello and answer any questions. It was a privilege to hear her speak about the winery’s evolution—from generational practices passed down through the years to the shifts in wine culture and the growing demands of international markets. The dedication behind each glass of crisp wine or cava is genuinely mind-blowing. From honouring time-tested methods to adapting to modern challenges, hearing these stories firsthand added a whole new layer to the experience.
This wasn’t a tour, not really. It was a moment suspended in the air—rustic, refined, and full of flavour. Whether you’re staying in a Barcelona apartment or a hillside villa near Sitges, Sitges Wine Club can bring the region to you. But if you’re lucky, you’ll let them take you out there. To where the vines grow wild and the stories run deep.
We left reluctantly, well over time, lingering as if the day wasn’t quite finished. It’s what happens when it feels like you’re ending the afternoon with friends—friends who just happen to know everything about wine.
