Penedès wine tour with a private driver: guide and one-day route

The easiest way to enjoy a Penedès wine tour is with a private driver: you taste wine and cava at every cellar without worrying about driving, and the driver takes you between visits and back to your hotel. The Penedès is the wine region west of Barcelona; its capital, Vilafranca, is approx. 55 km away.

Autolux has had its offices in Vilafranca del Penedès since 2005. We know the area, the roads between the vineyards and the real driving times. This guide suggests how to plan a day of visits, especially if you are staying in Barcelona.

Why not drive after tastings

A cellar tasting usually includes several wines or cavas. With two or three visits in a day, it adds up, even if the glasses are small.

• Spain's legal drink-driving limits are low, and it is easy to go over them without noticing.
• Penedès roads are minor roads, with bends and farm traffic during the harvest.
• Driving on the right in an unfamiliar rental car is not how most visitors want to spend a holiday.
• If nobody in the group has to drive, everyone enjoys the visit equally.

With our hourly chauffeur service, the driver stays with you all day and waits while you do each visit.

Vilafranca del Penedès, the wine capital

Vilafranca is the capital of the Alt Penedès district and a good starting point. It has a pleasant old town, a Saturday market and Vinseum, the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia, which gives useful background on the area before you visit cellars.

Around Vilafranca you will find wineries of every size, from large companies to small family producers who open their doors by appointment.

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and the cava cellars

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, approx. 12 km from Vilafranca, is the centre of cava production. Cava is Catalonia's traditional-method sparkling wine, and many houses have underground cellars with kilometres of tunnels where the bottles rest.

Visits usually include:

• A walk through the cellars and an explanation of the traditional method.
• A stroll through the vineyards or a ride on a small tour train, depending on the winery.
• A tasting of several cavas at the end.

Sample one-day route

This is an indicative route from Barcelona. Times are approximate and depend on traffic and the visits you book.

Morning

• 9:30: pickup in Barcelona, at your hotel or apartment.
• 10:30: first visit to a Penedès winery, with a vineyard walk and tasting.
• 12:30: short drive to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia to visit a cava cellar.

Lunch

• 14:00: lunch at a local restaurant or at the winery itself, if it offers meals. Lunch in Catalonia is usually later than in northern Europe.

Afternoon

• 16:00: visit to a small family winery, or a walk around Vilafranca and Vinseum.
• 18:00: drive back to Barcelona, arriving around 19:00 depending on traffic.

If you would like to end the day by the sea, Sitges is approx. 25 km from Vilafranca. See the Penedès route and the Sitges route for an idea of the journeys.

Practical tips

• Book cellar visits in advance. Many wineries, especially small ones, only open by appointment.
• Do not overload the day. Two or three visits is a comfortable pace.
• Think about purchases. If you want to buy bottles, there is room in the boot.
• September and October are harvest months: fascinating, but busier at the wineries.
• Groups: a Top-Van, a minivan for up to 8 passengers, keeps everyone together.

How we work

Tell us your pickup point, the wineries or area you want to visit and your approximate schedule. We suggest the right vehicle and confirm a fixed price before the service. Your driver, in suit and tie, stays with you for the whole day. You will find more ideas on our chauffeured tours page.

If you are planning a day in the Penedès, book your driver and spend the day on the wine, not the road.