cava
tour - barcelona and spain
 We
organised excursions and trips to visit
the famous internationally renowned Cava
Winery of Cordorniu, located outside
of Barcelona in Sant Sadurni D'Noia of the
Penedés wine region, in Spain.
D.O. Cava, which has a long-standing tradition
of wine-making. Its most widely distributed
product is Cava, the local variety of champagne.
During the trip, the guide will give a brief
introduction to the cava growing region
in order to familiarise the group members
with the area.
After the initial welcome and check in the
group are taken on a one and a half hour
interactive tour of the vineyard during
which the whole process, from the harvesting
of the grapes, through fermentation to the
actual bottling and tasting itself, is explained.
Once the tour has finished everyone has
the opportunity to sample some of the vineyard's
best Cavas which are accompanied by some
light snacks and explanations about the
wines you are drinking.
For groups who choose to do this tour in
the morning, lunch can be arranged afterwards
in a traditional rustic restaurant typical
of the region, where groups get the chance
to eat una parillada de carne, a selection
of meats cooked on wooden barbeques. For
more information on the Cordorniu Bodegas
history please click here
One of the oldest wine making families in
Spain, Codorníu have records dating back
to 1551 of commercial wine production. Jaume
Codorníu was the founding father of this
500 year old wine making family. In 1659,
the young Codorníu heiress, Anna, married
Miguel Raventós. This was the merger of
the two families, that are still linked
in family in business today. The first Cava
("methode champenoise") wine was made by
José Raventós, a direct descendant of Anna
Codorníu and Miguel Raventós in 1872. He
had studied the French traditional method
of sparkling wine, and brought these techniques
back to Penedés. Tragically, less than 15
years later the Phylloxera plague (North
American insect that decimated European
vineyards in the late 1800's) infested the
vineyards of the Penedés. Business was obviously
affected, but the family fought back with
the most innovative viticultural techniques
of the time, and survived the dilemma. By
the end of the 19th century, Codorníu was
producing over 100,000 bottles of cava per
annum.
Codorníu were members of high society, as
shown when the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII,
visited the Codorníu winery and presided
over the banquet offered in his honour in
1904. Throughout the first half of the 20th
century, it's a wonder how any business
could survive in the midst of war, never
mind a "luxury goods" business. But Codorníu
made it through this dark period in Spanish
history, and even managed to flourish. In
1976, the gorgeous "Modernista" cellars
were declared a Monument of National Historical
Artistic Merit by King Juan Carlos I of
Spain. The beautiful winery was commissioned
by Manuel Raventós, who inherited the Can
Codorníu estate in 1885. He employed one
of the leading architects of the time, Josep
Puig i Cadalfach (who is today considered
one of the "modernist" geniuses, along with
Gaudi) to design the new winery in Sant
Sadurni d'Anoia. Building took from 1985
and 1915, and the result was a stunning,
unique structure. Codorníu is a pleasure
for the wine tourist, as it boasts one of
the most breathtaking wineries in Spain,
and the company has been one of the innovators
in "Wine Tourism" in Spain, providing the
infrastructure necessary for an interesting
visit. The ambience of the place paired
with superb Cava wines, make a visit to
Codorníu's cellars unforgettable.
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