Small group Catalan food and wine day trip from Barcelona
Take in views of the Catalan countryside on your way to Montserrat and stop in a charming village, famous for cattle raising and cheese making to visit a typical local restaurant to enjoy a traditional Catalan breakfast.
Continue to Santa Cecília, a former Benedictine monastery that is today a mountain shelter and a great example of early Catalan Romanesque architecture. Enjoy a short excursion here to learn interesting facts about the history of the region and how the monks influenced the farming and the gastronomic traditions. Here you will sample locally grown treats like almonds, peaches, honey or home-cured meats, depending on the season.
Next, relax on the drive to the south side of Montserrat with a different climate, perfect for olive trees. Walk to a 16th-century farmhouse, originally the property of the Monastery of Montserrat. Visit the farmhouse's old olive mill and the medieval water tanks, and learn about olive oil pressing and the different types of olive oil.
Enjoy a traditional lunch of products grown at the farm. The menu features traditional Catalan dishes, made of only locally sourced products.
After lunch, head to the Penedés, a vibrant wine region known for its production of cava (Catalan sparkling wine). Stop at a local winery, where you will learn how cava is made on a guided tour of the winery's underground cellars and barreling room. Finish your full-day tour with a tasting of four different types of cava and wine.
