• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Spanish Fiestas

Spain Travel Guide

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Search
  • CITY GUIDES
    • Barcelona
    • Madrid
    • Seville
    • All City Guides
  • TOURISM
    • History of Spain
    • Regions of Spain
    • Spain Cruise Ports
  • HOLIDAYS
    • Mallorca
    • Costa del Sol
    • Costa Blanca
    • Tenerife
    • Benidorm
  • FESTIVALS
    • Pamplona Bullrun
    • Las Fallas
    • La Tomatina
    • All Festivals
  • RECIPES
    • Paella de Mariscos
    • Tortilla Española
    • All Spain Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • CITY GUIDES
    • Barcelona
    • Madrid
    • Seville
    • All City Guides
  • TOURISM
    • History of Spain
    • Regions of Spain
    • Spain Cruise Ports
  • HOLIDAYS
    • Mallorca
    • Costa del Sol
    • Costa Blanca
    • Tenerife
    • Benidorm
  • FESTIVALS
    • Pamplona Bullrun
    • Las Fallas
    • La Tomatina
    • All Festivals
  • RECIPES
    • Paella de Mariscos
    • Tortilla Española
    • All Spain Recipes
Penedès Vineyard

Cava Wine Tours from Barcelona to Penedès

You are here: Home / Day Excursions / Cava Wine Tours from Barcelona to Penedès

Tucked away between the coastal hills to the south-west of Barcelona is the Penedès wine making region which is one of Europe’s oldest wine-producing regions. The Catalan Wine Cultures Museum in Vilafranca del Penedès exhibits evidence of vines being cultivated in the region as far back as the 6th century BC under the Phoenicians.

Wine production continued under the Ancient Greeks and was expanded under the Romans who established clearly defined vineyards. These Penedès wines were exported along the Via Augusta to many corners of the Roman Empire. Under Moorish occupation the industry stood still for centuries in spite of a significant demand for Catalan wines from the region’s monasteries.

  • Penedès Vineyard
  • Wine Bodega Penedès
  • Caring for the Vines in Alt Penedès
  • Penedès DO
    Vineyards of Torrelles de Foix in Alt Penedès – Photos: Angela Llop

In the early 19th century most of the vineyards of the Penedès region were predominantly growing red grapes. However, the arrival of the phylloxera parasite in the French region of Languedoc on vines imported from America had massive repercussions for Europe’s wine industry. In France around half of the country’s vineyards were destroyed by this tiny parasite and many other parts of the continent were severely affected.

The phylloxera plague also destroyed harvests in the Penedès region which forced producers to seek alternative grape types. Vineyards which had previously grown red grapes replaced them with white ones and soon learned how to produce a new form of sparkling wine thanks to the work of Josep Raventos from the Codorníu Winery.

Birth of the Cava Industry

Whilst sparkling wines were produced in Catalonia as early as 1851 it wasn’t until 1872 that Josep Raventós produced the first Cava using the Champagne Method which he learned on his visits to France in the 1860s. In the aftermath of the phylloxera plague, white vines would largely replace red ones in Penedès and the Cava industry was born.

Today the majority of vineyards in Penedès grow white grapes which produce sparkling Cava wines and some high-quality whites. The remaining red vines which account for around 10% of the land are used to produce oak-aged reds.

The two main Cava producers are Codorniu whose history dates back to 1551 and Freixenet who only began production in 1915. Although domestic sales within Spain are very similar, Freixenet accounts for 67% of the export market.

Champagne Method

Although cava is produced in the same way as champagne, representaives of the industry in France persuaded the European Commission to prevent Spanish producers using the phrase “Méthode champenoise” on their wine labels which effectively led to cava becoming a household name. Interestingly it also reduced the market share of French champagne producers considerably.

Cava Wine in Penedès

Penedès Wine Tourism

The Penedès Wine Region is divided into three sub-zones with distinct climatic conditions. The warmest of these is Baix Penedès (Lower Penedès) where cultivation takes place near the coast at altitudes below 250m. this is where red grapes are harvested to produce full-bodied red wines such as Torres’ Sangre de Toro. Inland is Mitja-Penedès (Middle Penedès) where most of the region’s wine is produced from vineyards located at altitudes between 250 and 500 metres.

Cave in Penedès

However, it is the Alt-Penedès (High Penedès) which is the main destination for wine tours and tastings as it is home to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia which is the region’s main Cava producing town. Nearby is the village of Vilafranca del Penedès which is the regional capital and home to the Catalan Wine Cultures Museum (VINSEUM). Another major attraction is Bodegas Torres in Pacs del Penedès which is Spain’s largest winery. Many of the region’s finest white wines are produced in the vineyards of Alt-Penedès which are amongst the highest in Europe at between 500 and 800 metres above sea level.

Getting to Penedès from Barcelona

For the purpose of wine tourism the main destination is Sant Sadurní d’Anoia which lies in the Alt-Penedès some 50km west of Barcelona.

Penedès By Train: There are regional trains to both Vilafranca del Penedès and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia from Arc de Triomf, Plaza Catalunya and Sants train stations in Barcelona. The journey takes approximately 60 minutes.
Penedès By Car: The 55km drive from Barcelona via the AP-7 motorway takes just 45 minutes.
Penedès By Bus: There are frequent bus services to Vilafranca del Penedès from Barcelona’s Maria Cristina bus station which also take less than an hour.

Penedès Wine Tours and Tastings

There are hundreds of wine producers in the Penedès region which include internationally renowned Cava producers such as Freixenet, Codorníu and Juvé y Camps. In addition, there famous bodegas which sell their wines around the world such as Bodegas Torres whose bestsellers include Sangre de Toro, Viña Sol and Viña Esmeralda. Pinord and Jean León and two other well-known wineries.

  • Cavas Freixenet
  • Caves Parés Baltà Penedès
  • Cave Photos: Angela Llop

As well as the large scale producers there are many smaller, family-run bodegas in Penedès which produce relatively low yields but high quality. These include the likes of Parés Baltà, Llopart, Gramona and Albet i Noya.

Most wine tours and tastings take place in and around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Vilafranca del Penedès and Pacs del Penedès in the Alt Penedès. The main wineries engaged in wine tourism include the following:

WineryLocation
Albet i NoyaSant Pau d’Ordal
CodorníuSant Sadurní d’Anoia
FreixenetSant Sadurní d’Anoia
GramonaSant Sadurní d’Anoia
Jean LeónTorrelavit
Juvé y CampsSant Sadurní d’Anoia
LlopartSant Sadurni a Ordal
Parés BaltàPacs del Penedès
PinordVilafranca del Penedès
TorresPacs del Penedès

Share With Your Friends

Category: Day ExcursionsTag: Barcelona, Catalunya, Wine Tours

Costa Daurada

Top 10 Day Trips From Salou and the Costa Dorada

Rias Baixas Galicia Wine Tour

Rías Baixas Albariño Wine Tours From Vigo (Galicia)

Red Grape Harvest

Ribera del Duero Wine Tours From Madrid

Bodegas Garvey Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera Sherry Wine Tours from Seville

Mezquita in Cordoba

Mezquita Cordoba Tickets and Tours

Alhambra Palace

Alhambra Palace Granada Tickets and Tours

Previous Post: «FC Sevilla's Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Seville FC Football Breaks
Next Post: Jerez de la Frontera Sherry Wine Tours from Seville Bodegas Garvey Jerez de la Frontera»

Footer

  • Spain City Guides
  • Regions of Spain
  • Spain Cruise Ports
  • Getting Around
  • Spain Festivals
  • Spanish Culture
  • Spanish Recipes
  • History of Spain
  • Costa del Sol Holidays
  • Costa Blanca Holidays
  • Mallorca Holidays
  • Tenerife Holidays
  • Gran Canaria Holidays
  • Lanzarote Holidays
  • Ibiza Holidays
  • Menorca Holidays
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Spanish Fiestas - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy

This Website Uses Cookies - Please Confirm That You're Okay With That OK Learn More
Privacy Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT