During a visit to Barcelona, one quickly realizes the significant role of the city’s daily customs in understanding Catalonia and its gastronomy. That’s why dedicating time to explore some of the region’s typical products seemed like a great idea to me. I immediately encountered its famous Mediterranean Trilogy: tomato, olives, and vines, along with a new tourism opportunity: visiting a winery to firsthand experience the culture of production. And what better opportunity than staying near the world capital of cava? I decided to go to Freixenet, one of Spain’s leading cava wineries. If, like me, you visit Catalonia, you must reserve a morning to discover the origin of this sparkling delight.
The next morning, I took the train to Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, just a minute from Barcelona’s Sants station. The winery is literally only 20 meters from the destination station, so upon arrival, I headed straight to the reception desk and began my “à la carte” winery tour—a more intimate and VIP version of the tour I had booked via email the previous day. When I travel, especially on vacation, I prefer smaller groups and more personalized visits; this version also included four cava tastings and appetizers, all for 25 euros.
We started the tour with an explanatory video about the origins and history of Freixenet. It all began in 1861 with the founding of Casa Sala, the main wine exporter of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, which, in 1914, began producing cava as a result of its association with La Freixeneda winery in Alto Penedés. The small home winery eventually became the world’s largest producer of sparkling wine. During the tour, we touched the wooden barrels, smelled the fermentation aromas, and saw the hundreds of thousands of bottles stored annually for supply to over 150 countries worldwide.
Gradually, we began the descent 18 meters underground, where atmospheric humidity had significantly increased. This is a necessary condition for the proper aging of high-end cavas like Reserva Real, a designation approved by the Spanish monarchs themselves during their visit to the winery in 1982, as evidenced by an elegant plaque on the wall. Fortunately, for the ascent, we had the help of a small trail that led us through the bottling area.
Being inside the Freixenet winery, one starts to grasp its enormous extent and the fact that it is not just a winery but an icon of Catalan history. My notion was confirmed when our guide told us that in the early 1970s, the company began its international expansion, where its advertising played a fundamental role. Their advertising campaigns, based on the aesthetics of Freixenet’s sparkling bubbles, featured the participation of well-known international stars such as Liza Minnelli, Gene Kelly, Norma Duval, Shirley MacLaine, and Antonio Banderas, among others, and were directed by Martin Scorsese.
Throughout the tour, the guide explained the origin and characteristics of cava and its production process, information that proved very important when selecting a cava, as we learned during the tasting at the end of the tour. It was very interesting and rewarding to understand the entire process, step by step, and to appreciate the differences between a wide variety of cavas.
In general, sparkling wine is produced as a result of the natural fermentation of wine from three classic grape varieties. It’s important to know that its classification depends on its sugar content, starting with Brut Nature, with up to 3 grams of sugar, and going up to Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Semi-Dry, and ending with Sweet, which sometimes can contain more than 50 grams of sugar per liter.
“Can we find it in Israel?” is one of the most frequently asked questions. Freixenet is constantly expanding into new markets, including Israel, with the launch of the “Excellence Kosher” cava line; a new product aimed not only at Israel but at the entire kosher market at a very affordable price.
Leaving the bottling area, we headed to the winery’s bar, where the cava tasting takes place. The “à la carte” tour includes the tasting of four cava varieties and a professional explanation of all the details to consider when choosing a bottle. Next, a waitress brings accompanying appetizers that include a variety of cheeses, tomatoes, olives, and some other ingredients, enhancing the distinctive flavor of each cava.
Finally, the tour ends at the winery’s shop. Although it has the same prices as any of the shops in Barcelona, it ensures the original storage of the product and the availability of all the varieties produced by the company. As I left the winery at noon, I wondered if there was anything else to visit in the area and discovered that there are many other wineries in the region; however, visiting them requires renting a car, so I decided to take the train back to Barcelona in time to spend a relaxing afternoon on the beach.
How to Get There
The Freixenet winery is located 45 kilometers from the city of Barcelona and is well connected by highway and railway.
- By car: From the AP-7 and AP-2 highways, exit 27: Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, located 40 kilometers from Barcelona and 70 from Tarragona. Upon exiting the highway, turn right at the first sign for Sant Sadurni Sud Station.
- By train: RENFE offers Freixetren: a combined ticket that includes round-trip train travel and a traditional visit to the Freixenet cava for 10.60 euros. Tickets can be purchased at any station in Catalonia, including Torredembarra, Salou, Cambrils, Vila-Seca, Tarragona, and Reus. Sant Sadurní station is on the R4 commuter line, 42 minutes from the center of Barcelona. The entrance to the winery is 50 meters from the station.
Visit Options
For a traditional Cava and wine tasting, the cost is 7 euros for adults. The ticket forchildren aged 9 to 17 is 4.20 euros. Seniors, large families, and groups of more than 30 adults have special ticket of 5.25 euros.
The Tailored tasting includes four iconic cavas and an appetizer. The ticket per person costs 25 euros. An upgrade of four tastings of prestige cavas tasting is also possible for 5 more euros, or 10 more when chooseing a four tastings of Gran Reserva cavas and a complimentary bottle.
Tailored tours are for small groups of at least five people or equivalent payment. In all cases, it is essential to book in advance the visit to Freixenet.
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