Wine Country Bike Tours Barcelona, Penedes, Cava Spain

Tour 1: The Mighty Oak Run

Distance: 26 Kms

Time: 5 – 6 hours

Level: Easy to moderate

What you will see & do

With years of research on the local terrain, 30 cruiser/MTB hybrids, and a support vehicle always standing by, Wine Pleasures assures that you will be given every available tool to enjoy this beautiful countryside in a comfortable and relaxing manner.

The views start as you round the first bend in the road where the Montserrat mountain jets up in the distance and over the circular 26 km itinerary you will see:

Puig Castellar: the highest point in the region; a nice climb up rocky terrain with beautiful views of limestone hills and blue and green toned valleys. Font de les Canals: a natural spring that pours cold/clear water out of the highest point in the region. Yes it’s time to refill those water bottles! The Well of Ancosa: described as an architectural jewel, this stone well is situated right next to Masía Ancosa, which until recently was the property of the Belgian royal family. The Oak of Ancosa: this one-thousand year old tree has a 473cm trunk and is situated next to the highest altitude vineyard in the region which happens to be the Parellada variety. The tree is famous for traditionally being used to pass good fortune on to newborns. The Pothole of Ancosa: is an interesting hole in the earth that goes down to an ominous looking dark depth of 25-32 meters. The Monestary of Ancosa– It was built in the 12th century with monks moving in around the year 1155. They weren’t there long, moving out in 1168ad due to a lack of drinking water. They left behind gorgeous ruins with a wide range of native wildlife taking there place amongst the stones. Dry Stone Hut (one of many in the area) : Used by the locals to store tools and take the occasional siesta in its cool interior, there are many huts scattered about the region. This one in particular is a few hundred years old and held together by only the weight of the stones themselves. Font de les Clots water bottle refill time again at another natural spring! Then take an easy and exciting ride past presentine views of the valley below. View the windmills in the distance to the sprawling green farm lands, lush oak groves and golden wheat fields stitched together beautifully in the valley. It’s an easy ride down to the quaint and charming village of La Llacuna. Once you arrive in the village of 900 you can’t help but to feel excited about a glass of chilled cava in the Historic and beautiful Plaza Mayor.

Back to Wine Pleasures for an aperitivo and a glass or two or three of Brut Nature Cava.

Tour 1 Video

Price

Price per person based on a min group size of 4 is 35 Euros and includes:

Bike, crash helmet and water
Suport Vehicle and guides
Glass of Cava La LLacuna
Aperitivo Wine Pleasures with cava!

Tour 2: The Downhill Mediona Castle Run

Distance: 30 kms

Time: 5-6 hours

Level: Easy

What you will see and do

Starting in the High Penedes Region of Spain this route will take you on an exciting ride through gorgeous green valleys and along narrow mountain passes during a 350m decent to the Middle Penedes and finally bring you to a wonderful winery and the end of the tour.

The tour begins at the Wine Pleasures Estate where there are 30 bikes and regionally knowledgeable specialist that will ensure you have an enjoyable ride through the gorgeous wine country of the Penedes. On the way to the town of Mediona you will pass fields of golden wheat along rolling hills. The ride down to town is amazing, bringing with it views of Montserrat Mountain and the gorgeous valley bellow. Past the cobblestone streets and quiet charm of the town you will reach Mediona Baths that bring you back to a time of communal laundry days as you listen to the enchanting babble of a stream that is channeled in. The same stream will guide you to Font del Moli (fountain of the Mill) just up the route. Once out of town after passing gorgeous orchards of almonds, apricot, apples, peaches and olives you will see a 13th century Aquaduct on the way to Mediona Castle. The construction of the Castle took places during three stages from the 10th-15th centuries. Earliest occupation of the beautiful white cliff lined castle was in 1011ad. Enjoy the views from atop the mountain before heading down and finishing the route on a gravel path that takes you through more picturesque orchards and past an amazingly preserved antique Grape Press, Destalker, and Pump. Finally arrive at Torrens Moliner, a wonderful family owned vineyard that marries modern technology with old world values producing some of the regions finest cava.

Tour 2 Video

Price

Price per person based on a min group size of 4 is 35 Euros and includes:

Bike, crash helmet and water
Suport Vehicle and guides
Winery (Cava) visit owner and/or winemaker led
Wine tasting

Tour 3: Downhill to Cavas Rovellats

Distance: 20 Kms

Time: 4 hours

Level: Easy

What you will see and do

From the Wine Pleasures Estate this tour takes you on an easy route down the mountain with some impressive views and a lot of fresh country air. It ends with a tour of the beautiful and ancient Rovellats winery, which has been around as an estate since the 10^th century.

First up on the tour is a panoramic view of the High Penedès from where you can see the serrated mountain of Montserrat. Further along the way you can see a limestone gorge, and the valleys below, among many other impressive views as you wind down the mountain road. You will stop and discover the history of the vineyards in this mountain, which unfortunately were wiped out by the pest phylloxera in the 1850s, and learn how the winemakers dealt with the steep slopes. Here you can also witness one of the stone huts that were hand-built for shelter. Further down, you will find yourself cycling through a flat, open landscape amidst many fields of olive tress, almond trees and of course, vineyards. You take a short cut directly between two vineyards, escaping the road and immersing yourself in the wine-country, and then find yourself in Sant Martí Sarroca. Here you will see the urban vineyards; small patches of vineyards among the buildings of the village. From there it is only a little further but first we pass through the pretty settlement of Sant Martí Sarroca. A short stop gives us time to admire the beauty of the 11th Century Castle and the Romanic church next to it. We also see urban vineyards where construction has surrounded small plots of vines.

On the other side of Sant Marti you find yourself getting close to your destination: the Rovellats winery. The winery itself contains many elements of history, including gothic and roman arches, as well as the chapel of the Virgin of Montserrat. In the main building you will see all aspects of the process of winemaking; this includes both outdated equipment, which they no longer use, and the modern equipment that they use today. Especially exciting is the radial-shaped wine cellar where the Cava is fermenting at a constant temperature of 15 degrees and humidity of 98 percent. And finally, you will of course get to taste some of their excellent produce! Rovellats appear in the 50 Great Cava ebook with 4 of thier cavas awarded with more than 91 points!