10 wine tourism experiences for this summer

If you don't know how organic, biodynamic and natural wines differ, but you would like to find out, take a tour of the Barcelona regions. From the Alt Penedès, in the Maresme, passing through the Bages, there are many wineries that cultivate their vineyards in a respectful way and produce wines and cavas of unbeatable quality without harming the environment. We present ten essential proposals this summer for sustainable wine tourism and, at the same time, enjoy memorable experiences.

1. Discover the wine bars and the terraces among the vineyards

Enjoying the sun, the landscape of the vineyards and a glass of good wine is the proposal of the wine bars that you will find in Penedès, Alella and Bages, among many others. Most of them are open-air spaces and terraces where you can enjoy a good wine, often accompanied by an aperitif, some tapas or even a complete brunch to round off the experience. The hardest part will be deciding which one to go to!

2. Get to know a pioneering winery in respectful viticulture

Next to Sant Pau d'Ordal is Albet i Noya, a pioneer winery in Spain in terms of sustainable viticulture: they have been waving the eco flag for more than forty years! And two decades ago they began a research project to recover old vine varieties, which has allowed them to develop very interesting wines. If you want to know in depth the most sustainable viticulture techniques, book a visit with the winemaker and owner of the winery, a highly recommended experience in the DO Penedès.

Dinar between vinyes to the sustainable celler Albet i Noya – Marc Castellet / ACT

Have lunch among the vineyards at the sustainable winery Albet i Noya – Marc Castellet / ACT

3. Ride through the vineyards on an electric bike

Very close, in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, you will find Juvé & Camps. Their commitment to respectful viticulture is so strong that they have reconverted all their hectares to produce organic cavas and wines, letting the land rest and recover after years of fallow, not using insecticides or chemical herbicides and picking the grapes manually so as not to contaminate and Be very careful with the strains. During the grape harvest they organize a tour of the vineyards on an electric bicycle every year, so that everyone can enjoy an unforgettable experience in the DO Cava.

Ride an electric bike through the vineyards of Juvé & Camps

4. Tour the vineyards on horseback

Gramona is a winery that is very aware of the importance of working the vineyard under the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. Faithful to a sustainable philosophy that is respectful of the environment, its owners have allied themselves with a unique variety, the Xarel·lo, making it the star of their sparkling wines. You can learn some of its secrets by taking a horseback ride through the vineyards, while an expert guide will explain the way of doing and thinking of a family of winegrowers since 1850.

5. Understand biodynamic practices

Smaller is the Parés Baltà winery, a family business of viticulturists passionate about organic and biodynamic wines. They have bees that contribute to pollination during the flowering of the grapes; sheep that graze in the vineyards and fertilize them naturally after the harvest; the water that its vines receive comes from the rain; and they work with preparations based on herbs, minerals and manure the fertility of the vineyards and the control of pests, so as not to harm biodiversity. The winery is in Pacs del Penedès and they organize sessions to explain the virtues of biodynamic cultivation.

6. Be winemakers for a day

The Pla de Morei winery was born with the aim of preserving, respecting and recovering the environment in which the family of owners has lived, generation after generation: the Mas Rossinyol farmhouse, located in the village of La Torre de Claramunt, in Anoia. A rich and fertile territory that you can discover on a tour of stone huts, with a pairing of local wines and cheeses or with a picnic among the vineyards. Would you prefer to learn how to make your own organic wine? Reserve your place and become a winemaker, even if it is only for one day.

7. Admire an old modernist winery

The Alella Vinícola winery was designed in 1906 by a disciple of Gaudí: the architect Jeroni Martorell. Here it is possible to combine a walk among ecological vineyards by the sea with a guided visit to a spectacular centenary winery. And you will leave having tasted some of the best sustainable wines from DO Alella!

Admire the vineyards and the sea in Alella– Maria Rosa Ferré / ACT

8. Toast with views of Montserrat

In the DO Pla de Bages there is one of the most renowned organic wineries in the Barcelona region: Heretat Oller del Mas. The farm is in a privileged area, next to Montserrat and the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç de Munt i l'Obac. Concerned about preserving the identity of a unique land, they spend a lot of effort to protect the environment and are the first winery in Catalonia and the third in the world with the lowest carbon emissions. Sit on the terrace of its Bages964 restaurant to enjoy excellent local cuisine while you make a toast with views of the magical mountain, or take the opportunity to treat yourself to a stay of gastronomy, wine tasting and relaxation in one of its cabins integrated into nature.

Toasting with magnificent views of Montserrat – Marc Castellet / ACT

9. Enjoy music and wine festivals

Summer is the time to enjoy the best outdoor music festivals and it's great to do it in an environment of vineyards and wine. There are several proposals for this summer: in Vilafranca del Penedès, ViJazz is one of the most important jazz and wine festivals in Europe, with a top-level program that attracts lovers of good music and good wine; From July 7 to 9, it will feature renowned international artists, in addition to offering you parallel activities that involve around forty wineries, with guided tours and wine tourism proposals. Another option is the Festival Música a les vinyes de Subirats, which offers music, songs and poetry combined with tasting of cavas and wines from Penedès, in the medieval setting of Torreramona, on July 22 and 29.

Enjoy good music and good wine at ViJazz in Vilafranca del Penedès – ViJazz

10. Discover the dry stone vats

And in the heart of Bages, specifically in the Flequer Valleys, a route has been created to visit the set of dry stone vats that were formerly used to make wine in the vineyards that were far from the towns. The route leaves from the town of El Pont de Vilomara and circulates on both sides of a torrent, in the middle of an extraordinary landscape that will leave you speechless.