Penedès Vineyards, Wines & Tapas Day Trip, Barcelona

You'll start today's excursion into the Catalan countryside by meeting your guide in the center of Barcelona near Passeig de Gràcia. Step aboard a luxury air-conditioned van, greet the rest of your small group, and watch the modernist buildings pass by as you head out of the city and into the hilly landscapes of the Penedès region. After about an hour, you'll arrive at your first estate, Can Bas, a family-run boutique winery with a viticulture history of over 2,000 years.

Upon arrival, your host will welcome you and share how this estate's vines produced grapes as far back as the Roman era. Learn intriguing facts about grape varieties and the art and science of vine growing as you stroll to an underground wine cellar for a tasting accompanied by gourmet snacks like green-picked olives, toasted bread with tomato, and a local selection of nuts, goat cheese, and Iberic ham. Though the wine selection could change, you'll typically enjoy a sauvignon blanc, a chardonnay/xarel·lo, a syrah/cabernet sauvignon, and a cabernet sauvignon.

Next, your host will take you to the estate's traditional manor house, followed by a 4WD ride through the vineyards. Enjoy truly incredible views of Catalonia's rural countryside covered in endless vineyards, and stop by the property's charming Romanesque church. Around noon, you'll continue to the second cellar, Pere Ventura, a quick 10-minute drive away. This estate is just as historic as the first, though it produces one of the region's most famous specialties: cava. This naturally sparkling wine with a signature flavor is rooted in Catalonia's culture, history, and identity.

Hear about how this ancestral estate is built atop a historic farmhouse and how the vineyard uses modern and cutting-edge facilities for its winemaking. Your host will lead you into the estate's capella (chapel), the heart of the cellar and the oldest part of the winery, where you'll taste four cava varietals paired with traditional tapas, appetizers, and chocolates. You'll likely sample the estate's Gran Reserva and Vintage Gran Reserva varietals, including a rosé cava made with pinot noir. Around 2 pm, you'll say your goodbyes and board the van back to Barcelona.