The most beautiful villages of Penedes

The Penedes region is one of the most important wine regions near Barcelona, with many towns to visit and make wine-tasting experiences. The most beautiful villages of Penedés, chosen by Wino Tours, are those places with a unique charm and that have a winery nearby where you can do a wine tasting. You can access this towns easily from Vilafranca del Penedes and Barcelona by train or car.

1. Sant Sadurni d’Anoia wineries.
2. Sant Sebastià del Gorgs monastery.
3. Archaeological complex of Font de la Canya.
4. Sant Marti Sarroca Castle
5. Castellet la Gornal and the Foix Lake.

Get a discount on our Cava tour.

If you’d like to join a wine tour and save yourself the hassle of driving to these wineries, we recommend the small-group excursion to 3 family-run wineries in the Penedès region, with lunch included. We offer a promotional code, which you’ll find at the end of this post.

Towns in Alt Penedes

The Alt Penedés region is located in the province of Barcelona, and its capital is Vilafranca del Penedés. It is one of the four regions in the Penedes Wine Appellation and one of Catalonia’s best areas for growing vines, thanks to its Mediterranean climate and relatively flat terrain. That is why there are many wineries where you can do winery tours. In addition, the Penedés has different subzones with a great variety of landscapes and microclimates. This makes the Alt Penedes a very diverse region.

• El massís del Garraf and the Ordal mountains: It is in the coastal mountain range, so it is a mountainous area with a mild climate and excellent views of Montserrat.
• Alts d’Ancosa i Costers de l’Anoia: It is in the pre-coastal mountain range, so it is a colder area and also the most humid. The Anoia River passes by.
• Turrons de Vilafranca i Costers de Lavernó: the central area of the region, where we find the most important wineries and towns.

If you need to go to these villages by car, you can get an International driving license here.

Sant Sadurní d’Anoia

Sant Sadurní d’Anoia is known as the Cava Capital, and for good reason: here you will find some of the best-known wineries in the Penedès region, such as Codorníu and Freixenet, along with other leading Catalan sparkling wine producers, such as Gramona, Recaredo and Juve i Camps.

One place that deserves particular attention is the Cava Interpretation Centre, a modern, interactive space that explains the history of cava, its production process, and its importance to the identity of the town and the region.

Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, with just 12,000 inhabitants, is home to more than 80 sparkling wine producers, making it one of the most concentrated and interesting wine tourism destinations in the world. Furthermore, it boasts the historic Simón Coll chocolate factory, where guided tours and chocolate tastings are available, making it an ideal experience for families.

Access is very easy from both Barcelona and Vilafranca del Penedès, as the town has a train station and good road connections, making Sant Sadurní a perfect starting point to discover the essence of the Penedès.

Our recommended winery in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia.

In Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the capital of Cava, there are plenty of wineries to visit, from large, renowned houses like Freixenet and Codorníu to small, family-run projects with a much more intimate and authentic character. We prefer the latter: wineries where the experience becomes personal, and you can discover the region’s true essence through high-quality sparkling wines.

One of our recommended wineries is Vinestar, a young and exciting project driven by sommelier Ariadna and winemaker Ricard, two local entrepreneurs from Sant Sadurní d’Anoia who decided to take a brave step: to recover old vineyards on the outskirts of the town and produce their own sparkling wines with their own identity.

Vinestar’s vineyards are over 50 years old and north-facing, which allows for slow ripening and excellent natural acidity. From there, the views of the majestic Montserrat mountain create a unique setting, where calm and authenticity prevail.

The experience begins with a 4WD tour to the vineyards, where Ariadna and Ricard enthusiastically explain their philosophy and invite you to taste their sparkling wines made using the ancestral method —a single natural fermentation in the bottle—, a traditional technique that has resurfaced strongly in recent years for its ability to preserve all the fragrance and freshness of the grape.

At the Vinestar estate, you can taste their expressive sparkling wines made from Xarel·lo and Macabeu grapes, accompanied by a delicious meal featuring local and seasonal products, prepared by Ariadna. All of this takes place amidst nature, surrounded by vineyards and centuries-old olive trees, creating an intimate, relaxed, and profoundly Mediterranean experience.

Visit the Vinestar winery by clicking here.

Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs Monastery

Just a fifteen-minute drive from Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, in the direction of Ordal, lies the monastery of Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs, one of the most important monastic complexes in the Penedès region. Its historical significance is immense, as it marks the beginning of Christianity in the area.

Its origins date back to the 11th century, a time when feudal kingdoms were still defining their borders. With the Counts of Barcelona’s conquest of the territory, the Penedès region came under Christian influence, and the monastery of Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs became a key spiritual and administrative center of the new domain.

Over the centuries, this Benedictine monastery safeguarded valuable documents and records, many of which have allowed wineries in the area to reconstruct the history of their vineyards and their ancestors.

The monastery preserves a beautiful Romanesque cloister, characterized by its simplicity and serenity, which can be visited on the first and third Saturday of each month. Outside, the Romanesque tower, a symbol of its original strength, and the tympanum above the entrance, decorated with an image of the Montserrat mountains.

The small village of Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs is surrounded by fields, vineyards, and gentle hills, making it an ideal place to enjoy the rural tranquility of the Alt Penedès and to discover one of the region’s oldest testimonies of its Christian and winemaking past.

These are some of the wineries you can visit in the surrounding area: Eudald Massana Noya, Albet i Noya, AT Roca, Mas Comtal.

Archaeological site of Font de la Canya in Avinyonet del Penedés

Another activity you can do if you are in the area is to visit the archaeological site of Font de la Canya, an ancient Iberian settlement in Avinyonet del Penedès, considered the beginning of viticulture in the Penedès region, dating back to the end of the 7th century BC. Archaeobotanical studies carried out at the site have shown that cereals and wine were stored and distributed here, making it an important center of goods for ancient Cesetania for more than 600 years.

The archaeological site can be visited through guided tours, typically organized on Sundays and holidays, starting at the DO Vinífera Interpretation Center. There, a permanent exhibition, using audiovisuals and interactive materials, details the history of the site and the origins of wine in Penedès. During the tour, an archaeologist accompanies the group on foot through vineyards to the Iberian settlement, where they explain the silo fields, ancient living quarters, and storage spaces linked to the agricultural trade of that era.

Our recommended winery near the Ordal mountains

In the municipality of Avinyó Nou, just 5 minutes by car from the monastery of Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs and 2 minutes from the archaeological center of Font de la Caña, is one of the most distinctive and welcoming wineries in the area: ArtCava.

This small family project, with over 20 years of history, began with the restoration of the family’s old ancestral home, now transformed into a true artisanal cava workshop. Their philosophy is to bring the world of cava to all audiences, offering an interactive visit and a tasting of cavas with different aging periods.

A visit to ArtCava is an engaging and entertaining experience, highly recommended for all ages. In addition to discovering the secrets of cava production, visitors can witness firsthand the disgorging process, that magical moment when the yeast is expelled, and the bottle is finally sealed.

One of the most original experiences of the visit is the activity “Create your own cava”, in which each visitor chooses a bottle from the winery and performs the disgorging and labeling themselves, taking home a personalized sparkling wine, unique and with their name.

Winemaker Eric Enguita and his team of passionate winemakers guide the experience with warmth and enthusiasm. The final tasting includes a variety of the winery’s products, from young cavas to Gran Reservas aged for over two and a half years, and even an exceptional cava with five years of fermentation inside the bottle.

Visit the Artcava winery by clicking here.

The castle of Sant Martí Sarroca

Fifteen minutes west of Vilafranca del Penedes, we find the medieval Castle of Sant Martí Sarroca, probably the most charming place in the Alt Penedés. This castle is built on top of a cliff, and from there, there are spectacular views of the region. It is an important monument of Catalan Gothic style that can be visited from Thursday to Sunday for 3€.

As for wine-tasting experiences in the area, you can go to a family winery called Giró del Gorner. They have an interesting selection of wines and cavas and they offer a very interesting winery tour that includes a nice lunch outdoors.

Castellet la Gornal and the Foix Lake

Castellet I la Gornal is a picturesque medieval village only 20 minutes’ drive from Vilafranca del Penedes. It offers a perfect blend of history, nature, and charm. Its most iconic landmark, Castellet Castle, stands majestically above the Foix Reservoir, providing breathtaking views and a glimpse into the area’s rich past.

The village is ideal for those looking to enjoy a peaceful retreat, scenic walks, and cultural exploration. The Foix Natural Park offers excellent hiking opportunities, while the narrow streets of Castellet, with their well-preserved architecture, transport visitors back in time.

Visit the Winery Mas Perdut

This small family winery is located only 15 minutes from the castle, and they offer a good set of experiences to make with your partner, family, and friends. They have gone from the classical tour of the cellar to more complete experiences like brunch in the vineyards.

10% OFF in our Penedes Tour

Wino Tours is a small company based in Barcelona, offering small group and private tours to wineries in the Penedés region at very affordable prices. We partner with small family wineries and employ local guides to make our tours unique.

Book a personalized experience in the Penedés region with three small family wineries and a local guide. Use Promotional Code WTBLOG