Barcelona & Cava

This morning after breakfast, we travel inland to the Penedes wine-producing region where the majority of Cava production takes place. Our first visit is to Rovellats. Cava firms are either called industrials or artisanales. Rovellats are known as the latter, and make for an excellent comparison to the other Cava houses. A small, delightful cellar with a good traditional product that is unmistakably Cava with a heavy perfume and a rich, slightly earthy taste. Our next stop is Miguel Torres, where we have a private visit and tasting over lunch.
Torres are perhaps the most renowned of all Spanish wine companies. In the UK, Torres are known for their excellent wines such as Gran Coronas and Gran Vina Sol, but to the Spanish, Torres is a brandy firm. We enjoy a full range of Torres Cava and also try their still white and red wines over lunch. After, we return to Barcelona and the rest of the night is at leisure.

Today, we head north of Barcelona to one of Spain’s smallest and oldest wine regions, the DO of Alella. Our first visit is to Alta Alella, from where there are great views over the city and down to the sea. The first vines were planted in 1991 and today the range includes local varieties of Pansa Blanca, Mataró and Macabeu, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There is also a new natural range following organic principles. After our tasting here, we travel the short distance to Bouquet d’Alella. This family-run vineyard was planted in 1990 and today there are around 13 hectares of terraced vineyards planted with Monastrell, Garnacha Blanc, Grenache Noir and Syrah (among others). We enjoy hearing about the history of the estate and tasting these wines over a picnic lunch. Later, we return to Barcelona and the rest of the evening can be spent at leisure.

This morning, we explore the food aspect of Barcelona as we discover the city’s most delicious homemade seafood paella and take a look at the vibrant Santa Caterina Market, where we can also taste Iberian ham and gourmet cheeses at family-run market stalls. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Barcelona. Spain’s second largest city and principal port, Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia. Famous for its artists and architects, among them Picasso, Antonio Gaudi and Joan Miró, there is much to visit in this fascinating city. There is a wealth of architecturally interesting buildings from the Art Nouveau (Modernisme) explosion, which occurred in the 1900’s, to the old town that has some wonderful medieval buildings. The Barri Gòtic (‘Gothic Quarter’ in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona and some buildings date from the Roman settlement with a great number of these also being UNESCO-listed. We enjoy a light tapas dinner together tonight

After checking out of our hotel, we travel to the estate of Codorníu. The oldest family-run estate in Spain and among the oldest in the world, Codorníu has more than 450 years of experience in the trade. In 1895, Modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalchi was hired to develop and enlarge the winery, which was subsequently declared a National Historical-Artistic Heritage site in 1976. Codorníu is historically an important estate having been the first winery to establish the ‘Méthode Traditionelle’ whilst incorporating grapes varieties of the Penedés: Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. After our visit, we continue to Barcelona Airport for the return flight home.