A wine that makes friends
THE VINTAGE
Perellada Mollet. 20 kilometers from the sea
This winery is a fresh face, a breath of renewed air embodied in its two passionate managers: Josep and Marta. Since they opened the winery eight years ago they were clear that wine tourism could be an important source of new clients who, through wine, could become friends. Or at least in unconditional. His strong point is that "why not?" that they have as an answer to any crazy proposal. From their wedding they got the idea of making nocturnal visits in summer, surrounded by fiction and lit by the stars. This is just one example of his blessed passion and initiative that makes a farm an unforgettable experience. That, and the humility and closeness they show in each activity. At La Vinyeta they know what it's like to rock the boat, but they don't dream of the crowd, but of the familiarity and success of their proposals.
ARCHÉ PAGES
Campany. 25 kilometers from the sea
Arriving at the doors of this warehouse is to assume that one comes in search of some explanation that helps to understand some of the wines with more personality from Ampurdán. The fault (handicrafts and vinification apart) lies with the extreme landscape where it grows. Right at the end of the Pyrenees and the forests appear its vineyards, surrounded by trees and large granite rocks. Arché Pages is enjoyed right there, understanding the the uniqueness of its land and capturing the aromas of a complex landscape . And for the most finicky, the visit has an ace up its sleeve in the form of a small tower where you can enjoy the best views of the estate with a glass in hand. And it is that here, the tasting throws to the mount.
Tastings between historic walls
PERELADA CASTLE
Pearly. 18 kilometers from the sea
Castillo de Perelada deserves at least one long weekend. Here they had been attracting tourists for years thanks to their monumental and luxurious complex and, also, making award-winning wines and cavas. But 100% wine tourism did not arrive until a few years ago, when they began to revitalize this product. The experience includes stepping on the vineyard, feeling the sea and its nuances and take pictures of the landscape. This is accompanied by the subsequent visit to the winery and its wine museum, full of ancient relics in a monastic, religious and, therefore, unique atmosphere. In summer, an idyllic sailboat allows tastings in an exceptional setting, right next to the coast, looking at the Garbet estate, probably the most beautiful vineyard in Spain. An enoadventure that can be completed with its Spa or enjoying more in depth other places in the monastery such as its impressive library, its curious museum of glass and ceramics or the complex's Versailles gardens.
MARTIN FAIXO
Cadaques. 5 kilometers from the sea
Getting to know Martín Faixó is like immersing yourself fully in the Cap de Creus, in one of the wineries whose vineyards populate this natural park. To the landscape and ecological discourse that its values give off, El Celler adds the impressive Mas Perafita, a stone house where the winery is housed. Its great attraction is no longer just its magnificent silhouette rising between mountains and winds, but visiting it from the inside and discover how the winemaking process adds technology and stainless steel to the craftsmanship of its essence and walls . The tour ends with its corresponding tasting in the heat of the fire or under the trees, depending on the season. And if you fall head over heels in love with the place, you can always stay in one of the different rural rooms it has. Away from the bustle of the beach and close, very close, to the vines and nature.
A mansion that loves wines
** CLOS D'AGON ** Calonge. 5 kilometers from the sea
To the reputation of its wines (which attracts highly specialized foreign tourists), Clos d'Agon adds its slopes of vines and the contrast of its buildings. On one side stands out the old farmhouse, an old building with more than three centuries behind it. And right next to it appears the modern winery, designed by Jesús Manzanares, which manages to magnetize the pupils and complete the landscape by providing its color. This fusion of good wine, a walk through the vines and a dose of conventional contemporary architecture e and places its town, Sant Antoni de Calonge, as an alternative destination where beach and oak barrels can be paired. It's not bad at all.
**ESPELT AND COLL DE ROSES**
Vilajuiga and Roses. 10 and 3 kilometers from the sea, respectively
The Espelt winery is one of those charming giants that have joined the wine tourism boom with originality. And it does it in two ways. The first, the visit to its beautiful vineyards located in the heart of Cap de Creus, governing the turquoise coves and protecting what was once the road to Bulli . Having breakfast in the vineyards gives you the opportunity to learn about viticulture, talk about iodine and even about the dolmens that are scattered on the slopes of the cape.
The other great attraction in Espelt is Coll de Roses and its museum. Located on the outskirts of Roses, this large estate welcomes vines in its hectares and a passion in the bowels of its great mansion . Here is the museum, an entertaining interactive walk where the senses learn everything about wine.
A winery with a museum included
BELL-LLOC ESTATE
Palamos. 7 kilometers from the sea
Bell-Lloc deserves a whole day enjoying this complex located just 10 minutes from the most bustling coast. But here everything is peace and wine, a mixture achieved by the isolation that has also been transferred to its cellar. Here its complex architecture enchants, captivates by its daring, with those huge steel plates tracing a labyrinth where the wine is cured . Outside, the good-natured and country character appears in the form of a luxury farmhouse with rooms and wine tourism on horseback. An irresistible contrast.
CELLER CAN SAIS
Valllobrega. 10 kilometers from the sea
Even this very rural enclave located in the middle of the boulevard can be reached with three objectives. The first, the enjoyment, to meet Marta and her wine creations (the Selecció is directly another roll of wine) on the magnificent porch of her farmhouse. The second, the adventurer, who satisfies himself by cycling up and down the tracks that run through his domain between vines and forests. And the third, to undergo a beauty and health treatment made with the remains of the grape. And they are all unbeatable.
Vineyards by the sea
GELAMÀ
Vilajuiga. 10 kilometers from the sea
First glance. A huge old building with a name: Cavas Gelamà. Then comes the explanation, the story of an old cava producer who went on to grow wine for others and who in recent years has recovered her brand and her fate. He has done it successfully (do not miss his spectacular pink) but above all using the skeleton that he inherited from the past. A relic worth visiting, getting to know and enjoying thanks to a very rustic tasting. The experience is yet to be completed (Roger, its owner, dreams of holding concerts in the large cellars and a chill out area in its gardens) but thanks to its rural accommodation a vicious circle is closing for wine lovers who do not want to hear talk about waves or Surrealism.
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From the cultivation of cavas to wines