OUR STORY
THE ORIGINS WE HONOR
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Only when you understand where you come from, can you know where you want to go. We are the 14th generation living on and cultivating this land. We would never have reached this point without a willingness to respect the experience of those who came before us and to further the knowledge we inherited from them.
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A PLACE AND A NAME
The earliest records of Can Fontanals ⎯the Avinyó family property⎯ date back to the 16th century, and documentation shows that the estate’s main activity was always related to viticulture. The surname Fontanals, in the family until 1847, has been maintained as the name of the property to this day, even though it was officially lost when Esperanza Fontanals married Adjutori Esteve.
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CHALLENGES OVERCOME
At the end of the 19th century a particular event marked a turning point in the history of the Penedès and, naturally, that of our estate: phylloxera, which destroyed the vineyards entirely. And it never rains but it pours, as this quite dramatic circumstance happened to coincide with the bankruptcy of one of the major banks in the region to which the family had entrusted all its savings.
Confronted with this difficult situation, the enterprising will of the family pulled together, and with much effort and hard work a period of scarcity and hardship was overcome, allowing for a fresh start.
Confronted with this difficult situation, the enterprising will of the family pulled together, and with much effort and hard work a period of scarcity and hardship was overcome, allowing for a fresh start.
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In 1889, Joan Esteve Marcé made a crucial decision that marked the future of our cava: he travelled to France and learned how to cultivate different types of grapevine which would be immune to phylloxera, with the aim of replanting the entire estate.
On his return, he applied all the knowledge he had acquired in France to one of his vineyards. This raised great expectations among the local producers, who were eager to see how the new varieties adapted to our region, which this is why he named the new vineyard La Mirona.
The figure of Adjutori Esteve also deserves special mention, as an enterprising winegrower of the time who sought to modernize the vineyards in order to be able to personally cultivate all the land.
On his return, he applied all the knowledge he had acquired in France to one of his vineyards. This raised great expectations among the local producers, who were eager to see how the new varieties adapted to our region, which this is why he named the new vineyard La Mirona.
The figure of Adjutori Esteve also deserves special mention, as an enterprising winegrower of the time who sought to modernize the vineyards in order to be able to personally cultivate all the land.
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GENERATION
ART AND TERROIR
To understand the earth as a principle, to feel it as a condition, to express it in order to share it. This is what we have learned, and what we wish to continue learning.
ATTITUDE OPENS THE FIRST BOTTLES
Attitude is a way of operating that determines how fast you move and how you progress. It is something intangible but completely transforming. It cannot be explained but through action. The family has always been entrepreneurial: buying a tractor when nobody else owned one is just one example; travelling abroad to learn from expert winemakers and gain knowledge is another. Thanks to this attitude, in 1982 the first Avinyó cava was launched onto the market, with an initial run of 2,418 bottles.
ART AND TERROIR
The Avinyó story cannot be told without mentioning a passion for art and ceramics. Needing to find alternative sources of income during a few very difficult years in the vineyards, due to hailstorms, the family launched a new project in ceramics. Tiles, plates and ceramic murals made by the mother of the family, who had studied art at the Escola Massana in Barcelona, offered a lifeline. And this business, built of necessity but also with total commitment, has remained alive to this day and become an integral part of the vineyard and the winery.
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WORKING WITH THE LAND
Viticulture and ceramics, two different activities deeply rooted in the family, are both expressions of the land that share a way of life and a philosophy based on knowledge of the soil and the exploration of handling and processing techniques as a starting point for creation.
We love the land and are passionate about expressing ourselves through it. We select it, take care of it, and work with it. This is why we consider ourselves to be artisans of the land.
We love the land and are passionate about expressing ourselves through it. We select it, take care of it, and work with it. This is why we consider ourselves to be artisans of the land.
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