Xavi and Cristina Bernet had always been farmers in the region of High Penedes. In 2003 they decided to take over Xavi’s grandfather’s vineyards and produce their own sparkling wines, stopping to sell the must to the local Cava cooperatives.
 
Located in El Pago-Subirats, Sant Sadurni d’ Anoia, at 300-400 meters of altitude and surrounded by the Mediterranean forest, they classify their wines as Vinyes de Muntanya (Mountain vineyards). They farm a total of 7 hectares of organic certified vineyards since 2008. The soil is calcareous and the main grape for their sparkling wines is Xarel.lo, coming from vines ranging from 10 to 90 years old. In the vineyard they don’t use any pesticides or herbicides, they use horsetail herb to prevent mildew and sheep compost from the local farmers. In the winery, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeast happens and they apply only minimum doses of sulfites. Their celler (winery) is named after their first daughter: Julia Bernet.
 
Since 2019 they belong to Corpinnat, not being part of Cava anymore. 8 wineries from Cava joined forces together exiting the DO and approving their own regulations to make their own quality sparkling wines by following certain rules, such as: They need to be organic farming certified, the second fermentation has to undertake at least 18 months, and the wines must be produced and bottled at the winery.
 
María Bernet 2016 Brut Nature is named after the Xavi’s second daughter and it’s coming from a small vineyard called “Barraca dels Coscons”. A long-aged Corpinnat with an incredible acid backbone that brings a superb ageing potential. The Xarel.lo grapes rests for 6 months on its lees after fermentation before undertaking the second bottle fermentation. Aged for 6 years and disgorged in February 2023.