{Full disclosure: This experience was provided to me at no charge.}
Of course I couldn’t go to Spain and not go wine tasting! A world-renowned wine growing country, Spain is full of many different wine regions. The wine region closest to Barcelona is Penedès. If you’re visiting Barcelona, wine tasting in Penedès is an absolute must!
During my visit I partnered with Castle Experience Wine Tours and it was such an enjoyable and memorable experience. The type of experience I chose was the Cava, Wine & Tapas Tour. We were lucky enough to have a very private tour with just the three of us and our driver, however they mostly offer small group experiences of up to 16 people. Private experiences can be offered at request!
The day started when our driver Borja came and picked us up at our apartment. He was THE BEST. He was so knowledgeable about Barcelona and the surrounding regions and history. Plus, he already had everything set up for us, so we didn’t have to worry about making reservations at any of the wineries. Only a 30-minute drive and we were to our first winery.
First stop, Bodegues de Canestella also known as Finca ca n’estella
Located in the Penedès region of Catalunya, Spain, Canestella focuses on producing cava. This is cava country, folks. Some of the very best Cava, well actually most of it, comes right from this region as it’s the #1 Cava producing region in the world.
This estate has been around for hundreds of years and contains so much history. While it’s not the original family, it has been owned by the Delfi Rabetllat family since 1964, and has been passed down through the generations. We were so lucky to have such a gracious host, Rose, who was so passionate about the winery and the legacy the family has worked hard to create.
Highlight of this winery: Tasting wine in an old ceramic and clay fermentation tank by candle light.
Favorite sips: Rabetllat I Vidal Reserva de la Finca and Brut Nature
Quick pit stop in between wineries to take in the view of Montserrat. Great idea, Borja.
Second stop, Oller Del Mas
Oller Del Mas is a castle that is over 1,000 years old and located in the Pla de Bages region, one of the smallest DOs (denominación de origen) in Spain. This place is absolutely incredible. We had the privilege of sitting on the family’s terrace and eating tapas and drinking wine with the winemaker, Carles. Such a young and innovative winemaker, he is really mixing things up from the traditional winemaking practices and starting to experiment with natural wines as well as unusual varietals.
I could have roamed around this castle all daylong! If drinking wine in a castle isn’t on your bucket list, add it now! It’s really special to physically see and feel centuries of history.
Highlight of this winery: Chatting with Carles about his winemaking philosophies and sipping wine from the top of a castle
Favorite sip: Arnou Oller Vi De Finca
My biggest takeaway of winetasting in Spain: everyone was so humble and gracious. They care about the art of winemaking and not so much about production amount, making money, etc. but just continuing the legacy, preserving the history and portraying a true representation of the region and grapes.
I can’t say thank you enough to everyone at Castle Wine Experiences, Bodegues Canastella and Oller del Mas. You helped make this a trip of a lifetime!
And a huge thanks to these best friend of mine for joining me on a wine tasting adventure in Spain! Huge shoutout to Kirsty for being the photographer all day – you killed it!
If you’re interested in booking an experience with Castle Wine Experience, I’ve linked a few of their different experiences below. Tell them I sent you!
