Belfast winegrowers award-winning Creu Celta celebrates 20 years of production

Wine merchants Peter and Neal McAlindon who operate family-owned Direct Wine Shipments in Corporation Square produced their first Creu Celta vintage in 2003 in the Priorat region of Catalonia.

Belfast’s oldest independent wine merchant, having traded since 1954, the McAlindon family has been involved in the drinks industry for more than 80 years.

And to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Creu Celta several events are being planned, including a wine dinner at the Stock Restaurant in Belfast on June 22. Top chef Danny Millar is preparing some special dishes to accompany three wines from the vineyards.

Creu Celta means Celtic Cross in Catalan and was inspired by the exceptional 15th Century High Cross found on Devenish Island in County Fermanagh. The region Priorat means ‘Priory’ as it was the Carthusian monks who established wines in the region in the 12th Century.

Since 2003, a total of 16 releases have come from the vineyard in Salanques, situated outside the village of Poboleda, and as well as Creu Celta another wine ‘Terra Sagrada’ has been produced recently.

Neal explained: “Terra Sagrada is the second release from our vineyards, the name means ‘sacred ground’ and it’s a full expression of the noble Syrah (Shiraz) grape variety. Traditionally found in the Rhone, this variety excels in the demanding slate-based soils of Priorat.”

This is another full-bodied red now gaining acclaim.

Over the 20 years Creu Celta has been exported to the USA and Poland and has found itself on some wonderful English and Irish Michelin restaurant wine lists. More awards and praise have continued and in 2020 a Gold Medal was awarded at the prestigious Sommelier Wine Awards in London.

“This has been the greatest award to date for Creu Celta. With each new vintage our wine is developing more complexity. As the vineyard gains maturity, the vines have a deeper root network & derive more flavour, intensity & minerality. The newer vintages of Creu Celta are a step up from the earlier releases and it has been a privilege to work with Sylvia Puig, one of Catalunya & Spain’s best winemakers,” continued Peter.

The brothers’ father, the late Kevin McAlindon was a well-known figure in Northern Ireland’s wine trade. He brought Spanish wines to the attention of the public here when they were not fashionable and was honoured by the Spanish government for his enthusiasm and education over many decades.

In 1996 he was inaugurated into the ‘Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino’ accompanying such figures as Miguel Torres, Jancis Robinson MW and Tim Atkin MW.

Neal added: “Kevin’s ultimate dream was to produce a great wine from our own Catalan vineyard. He was able to see this begin and we have been able to continue achieving this goal over these two decades with these wonderful wines!”

Wine journalist Oz Clarke was so impressed that he included it in his ‘Top 250 wines’ imported into the UK. He described it as a: “Great big beefy powerhouse red to warm an Ulsterman’s heart,” adding that: “It’s smashing. Well done lads. Slainte”