“CAVAS FREIXENET” are the accentuated words that greet visitors at this acclaimed winery and highlight that sparkling wine is their main star. Freixenet is a popular hotspot for visiting tourists and locals who want to learn more about wine making or simply taste a delicious Cava or two.
When you visit the winery, you will find people from different nationalities crowding the carpark for an opportunity to be photographed alongside one of the curiously bottle-shaped cars or motorbikes. The traditional, Finca style building that houses the winery’s old cellars is surrounded by neatly pruned hedges and gigantic, wooden wine presses. The building’s front porch is the ideal spot for having a glass of wine as it has views of the garden’s water fountain and looks out onto the serene setting that Freixenet has created.
Many visitors opt to do a guided tour which explores the underground chambers and cellars that go a deep, five storeys down. Along the way, the guide explains the Cava making process which is made understandable by the photographs and paintings that decorate the walls. Many of the rooms are filled with hundreds of bottles of aging Cava, the oldest of which dates back to the early 1920’s. Witnesses can also see the maturing process of still wines in action as they walk past the oak barrels which smell distinctly of fermenting sweet wine.
The tour takes a modern turn with guests embarking on an underground train ride to move forward in time to contemporary wine making facilities. Left behind are the cobweb covered, stony cellars filled with rustic barrels and now to viewing rooms housing high-tech, stainless steel machinery. Along the way the train passes an uncountable amount of young bottles of wine that will be kept until they have undergone their minimum aging requirements.
Visitors conclude their visit at the Freixenet tapas bar to sample the winery’s Cava which is accompanied with a few snacks and tasting notes given by the guide. The classy yet cosy restaurant can be enjoyed by anyone wanting to experience the charm of the winery or dabble in a cheeky Catalan food and Cava tasting.
Freixenet are IWINETC Gold Sponsors, exhibitors at the IWINETC Resource Exhibition, and taking part in the post conference Wine Tourism Workshop. They will also be presenting a Cava at the Grand Cava Tasting on the 5th April which will be followed by a VIP tour and Gala Dinner at the Freixenet winery.
Sara Klank
