Porcellánic

Ton Rimbau likes to do things differently. This you can tell as soon as you see his wines, encased in his distinctive porcelain bottles, hence the name Porcellánic. Ton is a stickler for quality - if in one vintage the grapes don't meet his quality standards, the whole lot with be thrown away. Nature has said no this time. As is common practice in Penedès, Ton used to make wine in bulk and sell off the rest of his grapes to the local cooperative, before he decided to be a winemaker himself. The vineyard, covering 3.5 ha in Vilobi de Penedès is farmed according to the rigorous schedule set by the lunar calendar. Ton sees his vineyard as though it were a forrest. Spiders cover the vines and add a layer of protection against moths and other pests, the weeds that have been cut are laid back down amongst the vines to protect from UV rays and encourage microbial life such as fungi, further adding to soil nutrition and moisture. By being at one with nature over the years, Ton has learnt that as the bees begin to show interest in the ripening grapes, this is the perfect time to harvest, and they must hurry! This date is often weeks after his neighbours have stripped their own vines bare. After bottling, Ton submerges the bottles in water in wells to ensure they keep at a constant temperature without having to use electricity.