Avinyó "Petillant" Penedès, Catalunya NV Single Can

FROM DE MAISON

THE WINE: Avinyó Petillant is a vi d’agulla, the Catalan term for a prickly wine bottled with a little natural effervescence retained from the winemaking process. This vibrant and refreshing wine is the traditional summertime quaffer of the Penedès region of Catalonia, and it’s perfect for drinking out of a porrón. Petillant is made with a blend of two organically-farmed, estate vineyards. Finca La Guardia is the highest, most rugged vineyard on the property at 350 meters; here muscat de Frontignan was planted in 2003 in the stony calcareous-clay soils. Macabeo and xarel-lo are grown in the Finca Can Fontanals vineyard, planted from 1978 to 1988.

Vinification – After a nighttime harvest, the grapes are very gently pressed in a pneumatic press. The alcoholic fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks between 14°C and 16°C. The wine is then cold stabilized before the beginning of secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks with the addition of native yeast and raw cane sugar. The wine is bottled in all its freshness in January.

THE PRODUCER: Avinyó Cava is a premier, hand-made, artisanal sparkling wine house, which stands in stark contrast to the status quo of the industrial Cava machine. It begins with their location in the Catalan countryside in the remote village of Avinyonet del Penedès, where the Esteve family traces their history to 1597 with the building of their Masia (Catalan farmhouse) named “Can Fontanals”, the traditional family home. Their spirit of innovation and respect for traditions, driven by an undercurrent of constant self-improvement and a relentless drive for quality, are the defining characteristics that set Avinyó Cava apart from others.

“Del most flor, amb la dedicació i el rigor de l’obra artesanal ben feta.” This Catalan saying graces the label of every Avinyó bottle and translates as “starting with the best part of the harvest, and exerting the dedication and rigor of a well-crafted work.” Avinyó was our first import in 1996, and it was in a similar spirit of “a well-crafted work”, that De Maison Selections was founded.

Read more about the producer here.