Xalera is the Catalan word for “enjoyment” and perfectly encapsulates the light-hearted, refreshing vibe of the second label from Celler Bernaví. Marco Bernava and Ruth Fullat met on the beach at the age of 18, when Marco and his buddies road-tripped from their home near Milan to vacation on Ruth’s local beach on the Mediterranean coast of Catalunya. In the years that followed, they exchanged love letters and taught each other Spanish and Italian. Ruth moved to Italy and they both became winemakers. After running large, technical wineries for many years, they returned to Catalunya, in search of a place to settle down and start a small family winery that would allow them to explore their craft through a new terroir. When they discovered Mas de Vernet, their future farm outside of the tiny village of Vilalba dels Arcs, the magnetism of the place and Terra Alta’s special soils drew them in. Celler Bernaví was born. 2019 Xalera Vi Negre (Catalan for “red wine”) is composed of organically farmed Garnatxa, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, planted at 300-350m altitude on Terra Alta’s special panal soils (silty loam with high limestone content and layers of gypsum). The grapes are de-stemmed and given a brief temperature-controlled maceration, fermented in stainless steel, and bottled early in search for tension and freshness. It is easy-drinking, food-friendly, and fun, with light, juicy berry fruit, inflected with herbal notes.