Avinyó Petillant Blanc

Alcohol: 10,5% Grape(s): Muscat de Frontignan, Macabeo, Xarel-lo Localization: Penedès, Catalonia, Spain Tasting Notes: This wine is a vi d’agulla, the Catalan name for "prickly wine" for its slightly effervescent character. Vibrant and refreshing, it is the traditional summertime go-to of the Penedès region of Catalonia, and it’s perfect for drinking out of a porrón. The Domain: Up until the late 19th century, the Esteve family of Avinyó subsisted on the growing and selling of cereal crops, legumes, and a little bit of wine, all grown around their traditional horseshoe-shaped farm- house, Can Fontanal. But when phylloxera crossed the border from France into Spain, the family vineyards and their savings were destroyed when concerns over the louse caused a run on the region’s largest banks. Faced with starting over, Joan Esteve Marcè saw an opportunity in hardship and traveled to France in search of phylloxera-resistant vines. He returned with new rootstocks immune to the pest. His son,