Cava, roughly meaning “cave,” is Spain’s sparkling wine. Not just for special occasions, it can be a great value compared to other traditional-method sparkling wines like Champagne.
If you’re visiting Barcelona, wine tasting at Cava wineries is an easy (and fun!) day trip. The center of Cava production is accessible by train, so you don’t even need to rent a car.
Codorníu is one of the largest producers of Cava wines, making a wide range of sparkling wines from both indigenous and Champagne grape varieties.
Recaredo can claim a few firsts in the Penedès wine region. They were the first to make a single-varietal sparkling wine from 100% Xarel·lo. And first to be certified biodynamic.
Gramona's sparkling wines are all organic. And, like Recaredo, they are also certified biodynamic and use natural cork stoppers during aging.
They age their Cavas between two and five years. And they have a selection of both white and rosé Reservas and Gran Reservas.
This mega-winery is one of the largest sparkling wine producers in the world, selling more than 100 million bottles in 2021. And they make 80% of Spain’s exported cava.
Visiting Cava wineries from Barcelona is an easy day trip to do on your own. But if you prefer a guided option, there are some excellent wine tours led by local wine experts.