Wine tasting tour around Barcelona

If during your vacation you want to do something different than visiting museums, why not do a kind of vineyard tour ? If you love wine, it can be interesting to visit those cellars and wineries and by this way, to discover and to experience a playful and cultural tour of catalan wine and its country. In Catalonia, there are 4 main producer zones: Route of Penedès (near Barcelona) Route of Terra Alta (near Tarragona) Route of Costers del Segre (near Lleida) Route of Priorat (near Reus)

To visit vineyards around those areas you will need to rent a car if you want to do it by yourself, if not you have to buy one of the pack offers from tourism agencies. If you decide to go by yourself, I will recommend you to give a call to the winery to schedule a date and time. Most of them get used to receive visits and generally, they have a kind of tour to show you their vineyard, the elaboration place, the cellar… and you will have the pleasure to get a wine tasting and if you like it, you can buy some bottles. Even in some winery, you will have right to a little video presentation and a DVD like gift.

So if you don’t call in advance to announce your coming, you may not be able to enjoy all those nice things that the owner has prepared for his guests 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 so you can taste and buy some bottles.

Like in my article cava tasting tour near Barcelona, the price will cost you between 5 and 10 euros and if you use the service of the tourism agency, the price is starting from 100 euros which include visit and hotel. Following I will describe some famous wineries categorized by route.

Route of Penedès Joan Sardà winery (address, ctra vilafranca a st jaume dels domenys) located at Castellví de la Marca – phone (+34) 938918053. You will visit: the vineyards and the discovery of every variety of grapes the estate, a presentation of the history of Joan Sardà wineries and the wide gardens which surround the house and where meetings and social acts are celebrated, the production place where the tradition and the automation are combined in order to obtain a final product of quality, the room of raising where the time grants the wine the ideal maturity through a stable temperature and a controlled dampness, an indispensable condition for a good aging in the cask of oak the zone of expedition where the final product is stored and it will be sent to different national and international markets.

Heredad Segura Viudas winery (address, ctra sant sadurní a s. pere de riudebitlles) located at Torrelavit – phone (+34) 938917070. This winery is the first and the only one to receive the special premium “great vinitaly” and to be known as “winery of the year” by the magazine “wine & spirits”. You will visit the facilities and cellars with a complete explanation of the elaboration process and will end in the main room of the original Masia of the 12th century.

Marfil Alella winery (address, rambla angel guimerà 62) located at Alella – phone (+34) 935403842. The great part of the vineyards and the proper winery are located in the center of Alella, the heart of the Denomination of Origin. Wines are characterized by the mediterranean climate and the particular geological character of the area.

Route of Terra Alta

Clos Barenys winery (address, camí vell de cambrils 180) located at Vila-Seca – phone (+34) 977353099. Clos Bareys are wines of high expression and singular personality. You will discover their wines through innovative offers of tasting within an unique space surrounded by vineyards near the sea.

Avgvstvs Forum winery (address, ctra de sant vicenç) located at El Vendrell – phone (+34) 977666910. In 1983, when they plant their first vineyards, they found an old path which joined Rome with Cadiz, the augusta road, which is the origin of the name of this winery. Their doors are always opened for people lovers of the wine and who want to discover the secrets of a small winery in front of the Mediterranean.

Route of Costers del Segre

Raimat winery (address, afueras) located at Raimat – phone (+34) 973259266. Raimat's estate is acquired in 1914 and nowadays its vineyard and winery have done that Raimat is one of the most innovative and prestigious wine of the world.

Route of Priorat

Celler Aibar 1895 winery (address, pol. 2 parc 271) located at Darmós – phone (+34) 977417532. You will not only discover the elaboration of the wine but also you will visit its archaeological space, the old well of treadmill and mill of 19th century. Moreover, you will have the choice to do a barbecue by bringing your own food or by ordering them to prepare for you.

Celler Ripoll Sans winery (address, baixada de consolació 4) located at Gratallops – phone (+34) 687638951 / 667486526. Born in the year 2000, they have been able to preserve the typical structure of presses and vaults and the production comes from the selection of the best proper vineyards up to 90 years.

Abadía de Poblet winery (address, passeig de l'abad conill 6) located at Poblet – phone (+34) 977870358. This winery is located in the same complex of the Monastery of Holy Maria de Poblet which dates from 1870. From 1998 the Codorníu group begins the elaboration and the marketing of the wine Abbey of Poblet (100 % Pinot Noir) produced from the grapevines that the monks have inside their walled enclosure.

There are much more wineries to visit around those areas, if you are going to rent a car and you are not interested about the tour, just drive to Penedès, Priorat or Terra Alta area and you can stop in each winery 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
• The Wine Colours, c/ rosselló 346 – phone (+34) 934576278
• Barcelona Bus Turistic, plaça Catalunya 3 – phone (+34) 933187074