When Ramon Parera and Jordi Arnan acquired the abandoned Can Comas estate in Alt Penedes in 1996, there were no vines at all. What they found instead was a run-down medieval farmhouse, 35 hectares of Mediterranean scrubland, and an ancient cellar that had survived the Spanish Civil War. They spent the next eight years studying the parcels before releasing their first bottle from the 2004 vintage. Today, Celler Pardas stands as one of Catalonia's most thoughtful advocates for indigenous varieties and low-intervention farming.
Backstory
Parera trained as an oenologist and, together with Arnan, planted the estate from scratch, choosing to work only with grapes native to the Penedes. Their focus sharpened over time: in 2012 they abandoned inoculated yeasts entirely, adopting spontaneous fermentation across all cuvees. Pardas is a founding member of Corpinnat, the EU-registered collective that champions terroir-driven sparkling wine made exclusively from Penedes-grown fruit.
The Region
Can Comas sits in Alt Penedes, roughly 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean coast, at around 250 metres above sea level. The estate sits in a valley crossed by a river, with alluvial soils in the lower sections and older clay-limestone terraces climbing toward the south. The continental influence at this altitude delivers warm days and cool nights, critical for preserving the acidity that defines the estate's whites and sparkling wines.
Vineyards and Farming
All 35 hectares are certified organic. Vines are dry-farmed without irrigation, and soils are not ploughed in order to protect microbial life and prevent erosion. Ground vegetation is managed to encourage biodiversity, and no synthetic inputs or pesticides are used. Beyond the main estate, Pardas sources fruit from two northern plots planted to old vines of Malvasia de Sitges, a variety Parera describes as the Riesling of the Mediterranean. Grape varieties grown include Xarel-lo, Macabeu, Parellada, Malvasia de Sitges, Sumoll, Garnacha, and Carignan.
Winemaking
Fermentations proceed with native yeasts only, without fining agents or unnecessary additions. The sparkling wines are produced under the Corpinnat rules, which require a minimum of 18 months of aging on the lees. Still wines are handled with the same minimal approach, allowing the clay-limestone character of Can Comas to dominate. Sumoll, a red grape that most Catalan growers abandoned decades ago, is central to the estate's red wines and one of Parera's primary obsessions.
The Wines
Pardas produces both sparkling Corpinnat wines and still table wines. Key cuvees include Rupestris, Blau Cru, Pur Xarel-lo, Pell a Pell (a Sumoll-based rose), Sus Scrofa, Negre Franc, and Collita Roja. The whites are built around Xarel-lo, with its saline mineral backbone, while the reds showcase Sumoll's light colour, high acidity, and wild herbal character.
