Day 10 - Wine and Cava Tour - A Passion for a good wine - The Bishop/Kalinowski/Olsen Tour

An absolutely beautiful day was in the forecast, although when we got started in the morning there was a fog covering that blanketed the city. Not unusual, given the sudden rise in temperatures and the relatively cool temperatures of the Mediterranean, but the meteorologists proved correct as by mid morning the sun had burned its way through and the morning was proving to be the perfect spring morning. The perfect time to visit the wineries of the Penedes region. When we arrived at Rimarts Cava, Ernest was waiting for us, with another small group also there to sample some wines to which Robert Parker recently gave 90+ points. The exploration of hand-crafted cava really demonstrates how passionate the Rimarts brothers are about their trade, and that passion shines through in every bottle they hand degorge. Watching the degorging of a bottle, done by hand the same way it was done by his father and grandfather, is like watching a scene from a different era. And sampling the wines afterwards is an experience that is almost guaranteed to change how most people think of cava. 


After sampling three great and unique cavas (gran reserva, Chardonnay and Uvae), we were off to our next destination, Mas Comtal. Unlike Rimarts, Mas Comtal concentrates more on its wines, although Assun did offer us each a glass of their remarkable sparkling wine to accompany us as we walked through the vineyards. The great advantage of visiting these smaller, high expression wineries is the chance to really understand the wines. Where they come from, why this variety or that, and how the area influences it all. Rambling among the old and new vines, we learned about the science of growing, the obstacles that an organic/ecological winery like Mas Comtal faces, and just how important it is to be on top of everything throughout the whole process. And having the tasting in the shade in the quiet seclusion of the winery (accompanied by Blum, the chocolate Lab who recognized Darlene immediately as a dog lover) just makes the whole experience so much more personal.

We had decided to stop for lunch on the way back, rather than wait until we got to Barcelona, so off we went to a small local restaurant for a "quick" meal. The salads, fresh pasta, cod and potatoes, chicken and rabbit were all excellent, and we finished our day by returning to Barcelona and saying "hasta mañana" at the Rambla del Mar at the foot of Columbus.

For more information on planning a private guided tour in Spain, contact The Spanish Touch at 888-480-0013.