Vi Ciclista: A Catalan wine by cyclists for cyclists

Take a bottle of Vi Ciclista in your hand, examine the etiquette and let your fantasies go. It will take a bit of time before you realize it is a wine collection particularly for cyclists, but once you see it, you get it and enjoy it

While we ride our bikes, the inventors of Vi Ciclista Be Positive, Carles Amat and Maria Montané say, “we take in the moving landscapes and see a range of colours”. Amat: “Our labels capture that essence.”

“Every destination has a different colour combination”, Amat says. “In Penedès you will find different ranges than in the Empordà, for example. The etiquettes of the cycling wines we produce, are artistic reflections of the territories where they are produced when you are riding your bike in that area.”

‘We love cycling as much as producing wine’

Vi Ciclista was established approximately one year ago, with a white wine Vi Ciclista Be Penedès, made with Xarel·lo and Malvasia de Sitges, native varieties of the D.O. Penedès. During the summer months, the second wine of the collection got available: the Vi Ciclista Be Terra Alta. This is the first red wine in the collection, Montané says, made with 100% of the Morenillo variety, an ancestral grape variety from Terra Alta that has been cultivated for many years.

Amat&Montané are as much in love with wine as they are with sports. Carles’ biggest hobby is ultradistance trailrunning, while Maria always accompanies him during his trips. “For the both of us sport is a great way to disconnect, and explore the world”, Amat says.

One day, the two thought that they could discover wine regions by bike. That idea developed quickly into an ambition to produce wines in different territories, to showcase their landscapes and feature native varieties of grapes. “As we do not have our own cellars or vineyards, nothing holds us back to grow the collection of Vi Ciclista Be Positive with wines from all kinds of different cycling destinations”, Montané says.

Sustainable winery

Sustainability is one of the priorities for the two Catalan cycling enthusiasts. “Since we are collaborate with small wineries, we are taking advantage of the facilities that they already have. We do not emit more carbon dioxide into the air with the construction of another, new winery. Also, all the grapes we use for the Vi Ciclista Be Positive-collection are organic. Basically, the whole process, from the vineyard to the cellar, is done in a way that respects the environment utmost.”

This story is part of Nafent Magazine volume 4. Read the full story in our digital or paper magazine. Go to our webshop, or buy yours at one of our seventy partner places.