Old World Wine ExperienceOld World Wine ExperiencePenedès is one of Spain's richest cultural and viticultural regions, as well as the cradle of Cava, the famous Spanish sparkling wine made using the same traditional method used in Champagne production. Nestled in the hills less than an hour from Barcelona are several of Spain’s oldest and most renowned wineries. This wine region has the privilege of a warm Mediterranean climate, and due to its proximity to the sea, the temperature is moderate year-round.
Presently, Penedes is going through a revolution. The Cava Denominación de Origen (D.O.), which regulates Cava production, has introduced a new high-end category called Paraje Calificado. These are wines whose grapes must be hand-harvested from vineyards planted at least 10 years ago. The minimum ageing time in bottle is three years, but many of these wines will age much longer. This and other quality requirements make Penedès one of the best regions in the world for sparkling wine.
After visiting Penedès you will have a deeper understanding of Cava, its origins, history, and unique flavours found only in its birthplace.
Penedès is located about 45 minutes from Barcelona by car.
Penedès has a typical Mediterranean climate which is warm and mild. However, what makes this region special is the wide variety of micro-climates which exhibit different altitudes and proximity to sea.
The classic Cava has flavours of citrus, green apple, summer flowers, nuts at thyme. With age, Cavas exhibit creaminess and honey biscotti flavours. Styles range from Extra Brut, Brut, Dry (sec), Semi-dry and Sweet.
Penedès is famous for quality fowl especially the Gallo Negro de Penedès (Black Rooster of Penedès) and Xató, an arugula salad with cod, anchovies, olives and rosemary sauce.
Regional Boletus (wild mushrooms) make up a big part of the menu. In fact, over 2000 species can be found within Catalunya!
Founded in 1980, Mastinell is a small winery with a Mediterranean spirit. The family is well-known for being innovative, while respecting the tradition of the land. The winery is located in a privileged area of fertile land, sheltered by the mountain of Sant Pau, which protects them from the north winds and provides a temperate microclimate. Consistency and quality have earned Mastinell products the highest quality recognized by national and international awards, including gold medals at the World Wine Competition in Brussels (Belgium), and silver medals at Decanter Awards (UK)
Amongst their vines, their spectacular 5-star hotel is located. Open the windows in the morning and enjoy the sun on your face and the sights and smells of the nearby vines. With a beautiful architecture style influenced by the Gaudí modernism style, Hotel Mastinell offers all the services expected to provide an unforgettable experience.
Founded in the mid-19th century, Bodegas Gramona has remained family-owned. Nowadays, the 5th generation is taking a decisive role in the future of the winery, where it is one of the leaders of the new movement which is opening a new D.O. with the goal of distinguishing the wineries that follow the highest quality regulations.
Jaume Gramona is the oenologist who, along with his cousin Xavier Gramona who is responsible for strategy at the winery, is leading this movement. The two cousins share a common philosophy: that their privileged location is the determining factor in their high-quality Cavas.
True to their belief in respecting the environment, the Gramona family manage their vineyards according to organic and biodynamic principles. Recently, they have also started making still wines and sweet wines which aim at expressing the character of the local terroir.
Founded in 1551, Codorniú is the oldest and second-largest producer of Cava in the world. Codorniú is well known inside the country as well as internationally and receives plenty of visitors. You will enjoy a private and exclusive visit which will provide the time and attention that this winery deserves.
This visit is worth it just to admire the beautiful cellar and underground caves that have received the highest recognition when they were declared a National Artistic Historical Monument by King Juan Carlos as key work of Catalan modernism.
During our private visit, we’ll enjoy an extensive premium cava tasting with a tapas lunch in their beautiful gardens, tour the historic cellars with secret rooms, visit their private collection and discover kilometers of tunnels built into underground tunnels.
For almost a century, Recaredo has maintained a firm commitment: to produce terroir wines that reflect the landscapes of the Alt Penedès as transparently as possible. They only make vintage brut natural sparkling wines with a distinctive character developed through long ageing.
Their Cavas will age in the darkness of their cellars for between 2.5-30+ years, which results in wine excellence. Without exception, all of Recaredo’s wines are aged with natural cork stoppers, ideal for preserving the original character of a long-aged sparkling wine. Every bottle of sparkling wine produced by Recaredo is disgorged by hand. With skill that comes only from experience, the disgorger releases the lees (residual yeast) at the natural temperature of the cellars, without freezing the neck of the bottle.
Recadero is another Penedés winery that is leading the new movement to start a new D.O. to differentiate the highest quality Cavas. They also practice Biodynamic winemaking, showing their respect for the land. Partially for this reason, they are known as the artisans of the land.
The Sumarroca family has been making wine for several generations. The owner, Carlos Sumarroca, is one of Spain's most important and awarded agriculturists. Along with his wife Nuria, he bought the 15th century estate in 1982. The enterprising couple set about establishing one of the largest estate-only grown vineyard Cava producers in Spain.
Like other top wineries in Penedès, Sumarroca practice sustainable farming. They harvest at night and only use only free-run juice - selling off the pressed juice to other wineries. Their winery is terraced along the hillside so that all movement of wine is gravity fed, avoiding the use of mechanization in most of their production.
Pinot noir is grown to make their rosado, whereas their regular cava is made from the traditional Macabeo, Xarello, and Parellada grapes. The addition of a small amount of Chardonnay adds an extra dimension that sets this Cava above its competitors. All are aged for at least 22 months before being released.
