Cava country tour

• Private, guided wine tour of the Penedes

• Full guided tours at two of the region's most renowned wineries belonging to the quality Corpinnat brand

• Guided wine tastings of a selection of their best wines

• A leisurely, relaxed lunch at an atmospheric local restaurant surrounded by vineyards

• Transport by luxury vehicle with a friendly English speaking driver

• Option of being accompanied by an expert Penedes guide on the tour ( in addition to your driver and winery guides).

The Penedes Region

Wines were first produced in the Penedes as long ago as the 4th century BC when the Romans first brought grapes to Catalonia and shared winemaking skills with the local Iberians. As such it’s one of Europe’s oldest, and largest, wine regions with a rich history of pioneering winemaking.

Originally, the Penedes was all about red wines and it was only when the phylloxera plague destroyed most of the vines in the 19th century that production switched to white wine and the first Catalan sparkling wine was produced in 1872 using the original methode champenoise of French champagnes. So although they can’t use the name, cava is really Catalan champagne.

Most of the wine production in the Penedes is by cava wineries, but since the 1980’s producers have been trying their hand at red and white wines too, and with improving production methods cava and wine producers are increasingly gaining more international recognition.

Being so close to Barcelona, a cava tour of the Penedes is an excellent way to see some of the Catalan countryside and enjoy its produce.

Cava vs Corpinnat

Everyone has heard of Spain’s famous sparkling wine, Cava, but what about the newcomer on the scene, Corpinnat?

Corpinnat is a brand name that has been registered by a group of 11 of the most well-known, traditional producers of Catalonia’s famous fizz who want to make a distinction between their sparkling wines and the cava of the bigger more industrial producers in the Penedes.

The word Corpinnat derives from the Catalan word “Cor” meaning heart and the Latin “Pinna” meaning rock, referring to the region’s rocky soils. Corpinnats producers come from the heart of the Penedes region and 47 of their sparkling wines were rated between 91 and 97 points by Parker in 2022. The quality and history that the Corpinnat brand represents are why we visit its producers on our wine tours.

The quality and history that the Corpinnat brand represents are why we visit its producers on our cava tours and in fact, many of the sparkling wines you will try in the cava tastings will in fact be Corpinnat.

Fabulous local food

The Penedes region is also proud of its great local gastronomy; especially its rice dishes made with sought-after prawns of Vilanova, delicious salt cod or anchovy salads called “xato”, the chocolate covered, sugared almonds called “carquinyolis” that are loved the length and breadth of Spain and its famous peaches from the town of Ordal.

E-Biking through the vineyards

As part of your wine tour, we can arrange e-bikes for a ride through the vineyards for your group. You go with a guide who knows all about the local area and finish up with an open-air wine tasting. For larger groups, we work with a fabulous wine truck that organises an outdoor cava tasting among the vines.