Can Canut opens in Binissalem: "We want to remove the aura of experts that distances the consumer from wine"

PalmaCan Canut opened its doors last August 28th in Binissalem with the desire to make wine the protagonist of a carefree and accessible space. In a municipality closely linked to wine culture, the new wine bar is committed to a selection with 60% Mallorcan references and claims that wine should not be the heritage of experts nor a drink far from the humblest pockets.

To accompany the glasses, the establishment also offers a simple proposal for snacking, with gildas, nuts, and other formats of skewers and cold tapas. Its manager, Binissalem native Toni Pons (nicknamed Canut), wants the place to be a meeting point for producers, distributors, farmers, and consumers, but also a place where anyone can sit with a glass without fear of not knowing enough about wine.

You have just opened in one of the municipalities of Mallorca most traditionally linked to the world of wine. What kind of reception have you had in the first few days?

— The welcome from the town has exceeded all the expectations I had. I am very happy to see people with a bottle and a glass of wine on the table. Their response to the idea of what I want Can Canut to be has been unbeatable.

Did you consider that a wine bar was wanted in the village?

— Based on the feedback received these first few days I would say yes. I have been told a handful of times that it was necessary to have a place to go to drink wine.

Where does the name come from?

— The name Can Canut is the nickname of my paternal branch. And many people know me as Canut, or Toni Canut. I took advantage of something simple that the people of the town understand at first.

And the logo?

— The logo is a wine glass, which is what we offer, grapes which are the origin of everything, and a mohawk to give it a defiant touch, a punk touch. Reclaiming wine as a transversal axis within Binissalem and offering a space where it is the protagonist.

What wine bar concept do you want to offer?

— A laid-back wine bar concept, where people are not afraid to taste wine and talk about it. Removing a bit of the expert aura that sometimes distances the consumer from wine. Most people do not have knowledge of beer and are not afraid to order a beer. With wine, everyone knows the most important thing: whether they liked it or not. This concept of a bar, a safe place to drink a good glass of wine and a bottle and accompany it with something simple to eat.

How did you build your selection? What criteria did you follow to decide which wines go on the menu?

— I like winemakers who work with the varieties of their area, and also that the project has roots in the ecosystem that surrounds them. To choose the wines, many are wines that I had tried and already had in mind to have them on the shelf. Others are recommendations from colleagues in the sector, such as producers, distributors, and expert consumers. Also, now that we are open, we are looking for references that complement our offer, both by wine regions, vinifications, variety...

What weight do Mallorca wines have? Do you consider that in recent times Mallorca wine has become gourmet and has moved away, in part, from the humbler pockets?

— In our offer it has approximately a weight of 60%, the rest is distributed between national and international wine. I do not agree that Mallorcan wine has become gourmet. There are wines for all budgets. Here at Can Canut you have Mallorcan wine to drink in the square of Binissalem from 15, 20, 30... the bottle. I think that the work done has been signified and we have become aware of the good product that we have.

Is there any wine on the menu that represents the philosophy of Can Canut particularly well?

— Here, more than about wine, I have to talk about the people who make the wine. And the people with whom I identify the most, who are friends and have accompanied me throughout this whole process to open Can Canut, are the wines from Pep of Soca Rel and Tomeu of Can Verdura, a high-quality product from Binissalem. The goal is for Can Canut to reach their level, both in terms of Binissalem identity and quality.

Do you think that the tradition of having wine on the table or its consumption has changed or decreased?

— With these first few days open I cannot affirm it. But we also cannot ignore the statistics, and these say that every year less wine is consumed. And currently there is a paradigm shift, people are looking for less alcohol content, and even alcohol-free. It is a path to which we will have to be attentive.

What mark do you want to leave on the wine and restaurant scene of Binissalem?

— Within the Majorcan wine scene, my aspiration is for Can Canut to be a welcoming place for people involved in the world of wine, from anywhere. Whether they are producers, distributors, consumers, farmers, etc. Within the restaurant scene of Binissalem, to be able to offer quality wine and ensure that if there is any dinner without wine on the table, it is not because they had nowhere to get it. To be a shop where the local people come to buy their wine and discover new wines, both to take away and to drink here under the bell tower. The goal is for it to be a lasting project and when the years have passed, someone can say: "Do you remember that bottle we drank... It was with that bottle at Can Canut where it all began".