Cava tasting tour near Barcelona

If you like champagne, you should make a cava tasting tour. The cava is the champagne of Catalonia which is defined as a sparkling white/pink wine elaborated by a traditional method mainly in the catalan region of Penedés.

I am not fan of champagne neither the cava but I can tell you that the champagne is softer than the cava. This last one begun to be produced from the researches of San Isidro's Agricultural Catalan Institute which defended the method champenoise but from the white varieties of the Penedés. Josep Raventós i Fatjó produced, in 1872, the first bottles of cava in the farmhouse of Codorníu at Sant Sadurní d'Anoia.

So if you have time and you are interested to discover where and how the cava is produced, I will recommend you to organize a tour. Like in my article wine tasting tour around Barcelona, you can do it by yourself or using the service of a tourism agency. If you decide to go by yourself, you will need to rent a car and it is recommended to call first in order to schedule a date and time if you want to participate on the organized tour.

If you don’t care about the tour and your goal it is only to taste and to buy some bottles, you don’t need to schedule but at least, call them or check their official website (I don’t put the link but by doing a search with their name, you will find it easily) in order to know their opening visit time.

The price is between 5 and 10 euros (by yourself) or starting from 100 euros (by an agency which includes tour + hotel). Following some cava cellars on the route of Penedés.

Codorniu cellar (address, avinguda jaume codorníu) located at Sant Sadurní d‘Anoia – phone (+34) 938913342. The place where was born the first cava of the world, you will know the long process of elaboration of a bottle, the history of the family Codorniu-Raventós, a walk along the gardens of the house to enjoy the 4 modernist buildings, from the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, declared as Historical Artistic National Monument. Moreover, an electric train realizes the internal tour of the cellars to finish with a degustation.

Gramona cellar (address, indústria, 36) located at Sant Sadurní d‘Anoia – phone (+34) 938910113. The only cellar of cava which is capable of elaborating one of the most famous cava and some of the best white and pink wines like their sauvignon blanc.

Freixenet cellar (address, joan sala 2) located at Sant Sadurní d‘Anoia – phone (+34) 938917096. You will have the choice between the traditional or

the private visit. The traditional one lasts around 1h30 and it starts with an audiovisual about the history of the cava and after you will visit the ancient part of the cellar constructed in the 20’s to end in the tasting room. The private one allows you to personalize your visit and lasts around 2h.

Albet i Noya cellar (address, can vendrell) located at Sant Pau d‘Ordal – phone (+34) 938994812. The Albert i Noya wines and cavas are elaborated in the cellar located in the estate of Can Vendrell of Codina, which dates from the 13th century, in the municipal of Subirats. Maker of the first ecologic wine and cava of Spain since 1980, they own 70 ha of vineyards cultivated ecologically without using chemical products of synthesis and respecting natural paces and biological processes.

Artcava cellar (address, camí de can batlle) located at Avinyonet del Penedés – phone (+34) 938970228. A handmade cellar and the best base wine at your disposition in order for you to learn how to make your own cava. Indeed, all the facilities are designed, from the beginning, for their visitors to play the role of an enologist and to elaborate their own cava with Denomination of Origin. Moreover, they organize classes of tasting and you will have the possibility to enjoy a good meal.

Cavas Nadal cellar (address, finca nadal de la boadella) located at El Pla del Penedès – phone (+34) 938988011. Tradition, experience, long raising, mixed with something of technology and a rigorous control of the whole process characterize this maker of cavas and white wines as noble whites, cavas of annual production and cavas of exceptional seasons.

Castellroig cellar (address, ctra. sant sadurní a vilafranca) located at Subirats – phone (+34) 938911927. This family cellar elaborates first quality of wines and cavas and they have received several prizes in the world. They will guide you in the museum of the 18th century estate which is one of the best wine museums of the area, and later the cava to end with the cellar one.

There are much more cava cellars to visit around this area so if you are going to rent a car and you are not interested about the tour, just drive to Penedès and stop in each place to buy one bottle.

Most of tourism agencies have pack offers (tour + hotel) that you can buy so just get inside and ask if not, below some places to reserve your tour:

Ocio Vital, Viajes y Experiencias Gastronómicas, ronda universitat 12, 4-7B – phone (+34) 933171909
Barcelona Bus Turistic, plaça Catalunya 3 – phone (+34) 933187074
The Wine Colours, c/ rosselló 346 – phone (+34) 934576278