Tour Spain's Cava Wine Country Near Barcelona

Freixenet

Cava is the term used by Spain to designate their wonderful sparkling wines. Although not a region, almost all of the bodegas producing Cava are in the Penedes wine region of Spain just south of Barcelona. A short train ride of 45 minutes from the Plaza Cataluña in Barcelona will get you to the Cava town of St. Sadurni. In St. Sadurni you can walk the town and gaze at the many Cava bodegas that make their home here. If you are in Barcelona, take a day or half day to tour one of the two great houses of Cava, Codorniu or Freixenet. Codorniu is a 15-minute walk from the train station and Freixenet is directly opposite the train station.

To get to St. Sadurni d'Anoia, take the train from the Plaza Cataluña, Sants, or Arc de Triomf in the direction of St. Vince de Calders or Vilafranca. Get off the train at the stop of St. Sadurni.

If have an extra day, you may want to visit one Spain's most notable wineries, Bodega Torres. It is located about one mile from the train stop Vilafranca del Penedes. Bodega Torres

Tips for Visiting Bodegas on the Cava Wine Trail

Always call ahead to make an appointment, at least one day in advance, better yet two days or more. This is important for getting a guide that speaks English.

Some Bodegas have stores (tiendas), which need no reservation. You can buy wine at the tienda for at, what one winery told us, distributor price.

Lunch hours are usually 1:30 to 3:30; plan your tour so that you can have lunch either at the winery or nearby.

On Sundays the wineries are always closed. Saturday is mixed.

Adega is the Galician word for Bodega

If you see an official tourist office, don't pass it up. You can usually get a plethora of information regarding wineries and the Ruta de Vino (wine route).

At harvest time, most wineries are closed to visitors. Harvest can last a week to several weeks.

Driving a car in Barcelona is difficult. Once you get there, park it and take the train to St. Sadurni d'Anoia.

Be sure you have a designated driver.

This information is accurate to the best of our knowledge. Call ahead or visit the winery and/or lodging Web sites for the latest information.

See Cava Wine Road Map for Location, Driving Directions,
and Contact Information: Cava Wine Map