Vineyards, Wines & Tapas in Penedès, Barcelona

The Penedès is a renowned wine region in Catalonia, just west of Barcelona. Join a local guide and explore the beautiful Catalan countryside and its culture of wine and gastronomy with an excursion to the vineyards of the Penedès Region. You'll visit local wineries, chat with estate owners, and learn how to taste wine with a viticulturist. Along the way, learn how the sea, sunshine, and terrain work to support Catalan viticulture, one of the oldest wine territories in Spain—and a favored area for the country's famed sparkling cava.

You'll start this excursion into the Catalan countryside and Penedès Region by meeting your guide in the center of Barcelona near Passeig de Gràcia. You'll watch the modernist buildings pass by as you exit the city in an air-conditioned bus. Your guide will share some historical information regarding a few city sites, then introduce the wine region as your views turn from cityscapes to hilly landscapes.  

After about one hour, you'll arrive at your first estate, Can Bas, a family-run boutique winery with a viticulture history of over 2,000 years. These vines produced grapes and wine during the Roman era, though experts consider some varietals "Laietan wines," pre-Roman wines. In the Middle Ages, these were favorites among those living in Barcelona's Old Town. Today, people from around the world enjoy these wines!

Upon arrival, your host will welcome you and share details about this winery's unique history, guiding you to the underground wine cellar. Learn intriguing facts about grape varieties, the art and science of vine growing, winemaking methods, and how to store wine, which will help you as you try four different varietals in a charming tasting room, accompanied by gourmet snacks. Though the selection could change, guests typically enjoy tasting Sauvignon blanc, a Chardonnay and Xarel·lo blend, a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Next, your host will take you to the estate's traditional manor house, followed by a 4WD ride through the vineyards. Enjoy this unique experience and the truly incredible views of Catalonia's rural countryside covered in endless vineyards. You'll stop at the property's Romanesque church surrounded by vines along the way, which only adds to the charm!

You'll spend about two hours at Can Bas. Around noon, you'll head to the second cellar, Pere Ventura, a quick 10-minute drive away. This estate is just as historical and fascinating as the first, though it produces one of the region's most famous specialties: cava! Cava is a naturally sparkling wine with a signature flavor beloved by Catalans and rooted in Catalonia's culture, history, and identity. This is an ancestral estate, built atop a historic farmhouse and maintaining the property's history. Yet the vineyard uses modern and cutting-edge facilities for winemaking.

Your host will lead you into the estate's Capella (chapel), the heart of the cellar and the oldest part of the winery. Inside, you'll find a charming, candle-lit room where you'll taste four cava varietals paired with traditional tapas, appetizers, and snacks. Again, the selection might vary from visit to visit. Still, it's common to taste the estate's Gran Reserva and Vintage Gran Reserva varietals, including a refreshing blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada, two blends of Xarel·lo and Chardonnay, and a rosé cava made with Pinot Noir.

At around 2:00 pm, you'll meet your driver and return to your meeting point in Barcelona. To summarize the day, you'll visit two beautiful wine estates, taste four wine and four cava varietals, ride through the vineyards, and enjoy local snacks and tapas at each location. The snacks are enough to fill you up for lunch and typically consist of green-picked olives, toasted bread with tomato and/or fuet ham (Catalan Bread), a local selection of nuts, goat cheese, cured sheep cheese with quince jelly, Iberic ham, catanias (chocolates), and more! Please let us know if you have any dietary preferences or restrictions. 

Enjoy your hour-long journey back to Barcelona, driving through the beautiful countryside of the Penedés wine region.