Bodegas Torres

A trip to Barcelona isn’t complete without sampling some of Catalonia’s renowned wines and the Bodegas Torres, Spain’s largest winery, is the perfect place to start. A sprawling vineyard dominating the famous Penedés region, the winery is owned by the legendary Torres’ family, whose wine and brandy making legacy dates back more than 140 years.

Less than an hour from Barcelona, the Torres Winery makes a popular day trip for both locals and tourists, where you’ll not only get the chance to sample some of the world-class wine varieties, but to tour the winery and learn about the winemaking process. Founded in 1870, the historic vineyards produce some of the region’s most acclaimed grapes, maturing their wines in small oak barrels similar to those produced in Bordeaux and exporting to over 120 countries around the globe. The barrels, wine cellars, fermentation tanks and bottling plants are all open to the public on the tours, along with the fascinating Torres Museum, where a multi-language audio visual presentation will fill you in on the area’s rich wine culture. Best of all, a small train will whisk you on a tour of the vineyards, where around 1,300 hectares of vines lie basking in the Catalonian sun.