Codorníu Wineries - Guided Tours

An exciting journey to the origins of cava: Codorníu is synonymous with the history of a family of winegrowers that dates back to the 16th century. It is the oldest family business in Spain and one of the oldest in the world. It currently has more than 450 years of history.
Manuel Raventós, the great promoter of Codorníu, hired in 1895 the modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch (a contemporary of Gaudí) to expand the winery. The building he built symbolizes the fruitful alliance between nature and human labor and is a stone tribute to the silence of cava. Since 1976 they have been a Historic Artistic Monument and one of the most impressive examples of architecture dedicated to the elaboration and aging of cavas.
Underground in a maze of underground cellars is where, for a century, Codorníu cavas carry out the second fermentation and aging at an always constant temperature. In 1872, Josep Raventós Fatjó made cava for the first time in Spain following the Traditional Method and using native Penedés grapes: Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. In this way, he established a completely new industry in the region and linked the Codorníu brand to the history of cava.