Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      The best beaches in Malta

      December 2, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Indonesia

      November 28, 2019

      Inspiration

      Surprising facts about Bhutan – Land of the…

      November 15, 2019

      Inspiration

      Everything you need to know to visit Caldea…

      November 14, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Singapore

      November 13, 2019

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Travel Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa
  • Countries visited: 112
  • Currently in : Singapore 🇸🇬
  • Partner with us

Once In A Lifetime Journey

Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      The best beaches in Malta

      December 2, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Indonesia

      November 28, 2019

      Inspiration

      Surprising facts about Bhutan – Land of the…

      November 15, 2019

      Inspiration

      Everything you need to know to visit Caldea…

      November 14, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Singapore

      November 13, 2019

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Travel Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer policy here

Visiting Cava Cordoniu Spain’s oldest family-run business

by Mar July 20, 2017
Written by Mar
Cava Codorniu Feature
Cava Codorniu Main

The name Codorníu is undoubtedly associated with cava. The Codorníu Raventos family has been in the wine and cava business for 450 years, making it the oldest family-run business in Spain and among the oldest in the world. Codorníu can also be credited with inventing cava, the Catalan version of champagne, as they were the first ones to issue a bottle of the sparkling wine.

And because Codorniu is less than an hour from Barcelona or my home town, Sitges. You may want to save my complete 4 day itinerary to Barcelona, or my one day in Barcelona guide. 

History of Cava Codorniu

Cava Codorniu aerial shot
Aerial photo of Codorniu – Source: Codorniu

It was Jaume Codorníu who, in 1551, set up a wine making business in the Penedes wine region, about 50km from Barcelona, in the same place where the company still is based today. A century later, Anna Codorníu, who inherited the estate and was the last one to bear the Codorníu surname, married a notable wine dresser, Miquel Raventos, and so their children’s surnames became Raventos Codorníu and their grandchildren Raventos. And so, the Cava Codorníu businesses changed hands from the Codorníu family to the Raventos family, the owner until this date, but conserved the brand name Codorníu.

Puig i Cadafalch
Puig i Cadafalch Codorniu cava – Source: Codorniu

Although Codorníu is best known for cava, it was first a wine company and only became a cava producer in 1872, when the first bottle was finally manufactured by Josep Raventos, five years before Cava Llopart, up the road from Cava Codorníu, also released its first bottle. It was Josep’s son, Manuel, who decided to change the focus of the company towards cava because he saw potential in the new product.

At that time, European vines were being attacked by the phylloxera pest which could have killed up to 90% of all the vines, and Manuel decided to replace the old vines with new American ones which were immune to the pest. It was also at that time when he decided to build a state of the art winery which was completed in 1915 and which was designed by Gaudi-contemporary architect Puig i Cadafalch, famous for the beautiful building Casa Ametller, the one right next to the stunning dragon building, Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi’s most amazing buildings. The winery is still considered one of the most beautiful ones and is often referred to as the “Cava Cathedral”. A visit to Codorníu is worth it even if just for the building itself. Puig i Cadafalch also built the Raventos’ family country home, by the winery, sitting above the 30km of underground tunnels, split over 4 levels, where the 90 million cava bottles rest and age today.

Cava Museum
Codorniu Museum – Source: Codorniu

The cava empire did not end there and Codorníu also moved back into wines around 1914 when Raimat was founded. Raimat is a separate brand also owned by the Codorníu Raventos Group and which produces high quality wines. Raimat’s first vineyards were in the Costers del Segre wine region, about 1,5h from Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, where the headquarters and the cava region are. This entrepreneurial spirit of the raventos family has brought many key first items, including the first TV ad which was broadcasted in 1959 when the first Spanish TV channel was inaugurated.

La Catedral del Cava
La Catedral del Cava – Source: Codorniu

Despite the humble beginnings, in a tough land for agriculture, Raimat has become the largest vineyard in Europe with 2,000 hectares of vines used to produce both Raimat wines and Cava.

 

During the 20th century, Codorníu Group acquired wineries in other Spanish regions like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Priorat as well as California and Mendoza, in Argentina bringing the total number to ten. Today, 50% of Codorníu production is exported.

Visiting Cava Codorniu

Codorniu family house
Codorniu’s Puig i Cadafalch family home – Source: Codorniu

Codorníu receives 200,000 visitors every year. That makes it one of the most visited wineries in Spain and a destination of pilgrimage. It is common for visitors to come as part of organised day-tours which stop in the Montserrat Mountain, a few kilometers from Codorníu, and have lunch in the area.

Codorníu offers buses from Barcelona and tours in English and other languages daily but is usually closed on Sundays and public holidays. Its location, up on a hill in front of Montserrat, gives it a privileged position and view that make for a fantastic visit.

Codorniu cellar

Since 2017 is the 150th anniversary of Puig i Cadafalch’s birth, Cava Codorniu is organising specific architecturally and heritage focused tours in his honour. There is also an Anna de Codorniu visit which includes tastings of three of Anna’s cavas accompanied with Catalan snacks after the visit.

The tours can also be paired with food in various forms. There are breakfasts to be taken pre tour, cheese and cava pairings or four types at the end of the tour, and for the more adventurous, an ebike tour that precedes the winery visit.

Codorniu's modernist past
Codorniu’s modernist past

The standard winery visit includes a brief audiovisual documentary with 3D glasses that goes through the beginnings and the vineyards. It is then followed by a visit to the old winery, the first one designed by Puig i Cadafalch which includes the area that has been converted into a museum and is used for private events like weddings and conferences. After that, the most exciting part of the journey begins. Underground, four floors below the mountain side, Codorniu’s tunnels lie in peace, damp and dark. Here, the brand’s 90 million bottles are paved in 30km of tunnels that are spread over four floors accessible via stairs and an elevator. The tour goes directly to the 4th level where a small section of the tunnels have been kept just like how they were when they were created. The tour only visits this section, onboard a train, and does not go to the modern parts where bottles are being held today in modern palets.

Tunnel train tour
Tunnel train tour of Cava Codorniu

I enjoyed the tour, especially seeing how wine was made before and enjoying Puig i Cadafalch’s architectural masterpiece. But I found it short on wine or cava making and on history. There was little said on the building’s history, in fact, the modernist style or the architect’s name was not even mentioned once nor were we pointed at the magnificence of the building. Instead, we were slightly oversold on the private events Codorniu organises. There was also little talk about the beginnings of Codorniu, the family’s name or any of the many firsts the brand is known for. It was enjoyable, but I would have liked a bit more substance and less showmanship. At the end, we enjoyed two full glasses of cava, a white and a rose, in the tasting room.

Bonus Barcelona Guide
Check out my detailed guide on Where to stay in Barcelona with details on each neighbourhood and best hotel recommendations – Psst I am a local to the city!
Codorniu's bar

Make a day out of the Cava Codorniu visit

If you visit Cava Codorniu in your own private car, there are several other activities and places you can visit close to Codorniu to make a day out of the trip from Barcelona or Sitges. These are some of the possibilities to be combined with a Cava Codorniu visit:

Make it a day out for cava

Combine the visit to Codorniu with a visit to any of the other wine and cava wineries in the area. For example, Cava Llopart, the second oldest cava producer which is not too far from Codorniu. For lunch, stop at El Mirador de les Caves, right above Llopart, which offers combined tours of Llopart with lunch at very reasonable prices and with some of the most stunning views. Combining Codorniu with Torres makes it a complete day with the two most relevant wine and cava companies in the region. But if you want something smaller yet also fascinating, try Albet i Noya, the pioneer organic winemaker.

Cava and beach

If you want to start the day with a traditional Catalan breakfast and tour at Codorniu, you could have lunch by the beach in Sitges, enjoying a tasty paella near the waves at La Santa Maria. Sitges is a lovely quaint town by the sea, about 30km from Barcelona so makes for a great day out on its own and a lovely way to complement a cava tour. In Sitges, after lunch, you could enjoy a visit to the Cau Ferrat or Palau Maricel and a stroll along the town’s back streets and sea promenade.

Cava Codorniu and Montserrat Mountain

Montserrat is perhaps the most iconic mountain in Catalunya. Montserrat is a holy place of pilgrimage by many and is topped by a working Benedictine monastery that is nearly 1000 years old. The mountain range is rounded as a result of erosion and that accounts for the name. In the monastery there is a black madonna, the most well known element of the mountain. For years until very recently, La Moreneta, the name used to refer to the virgin, was believed to have been carved in black but it was discovered that the virgin turned black as a result of smoke. Apart from the virgin and the unique landscapes, Montserrat is well known for having the oldest boy’s choir in Europe and their performances can be enjoyed in the weekend. Montserrat also has a museum with paintings from El Greco, Picasso and Dalí and treasures from ancient Egypt. The area around the basilica is dotted with several artisan products and some restaurants and bars where you can have lunch between Codorniu and Montserrat. If you don’t have a car, this tour can also be organised with transport from Barcelona.

If you’d like to read more about Spain, check these posts…

  • Disfrutar Restaurant, elBulli’s legacy freshly carried on
  • Weekend wine escape from Barcelona – includes full itinerary
  • Barcelona itinerary – Where a Barcelonian would take you in 4 days
  • Mercer Hotel Barcelona: Sleep between 2000 year old walls
  • Top 10 wineries near Barcelona to visit in 2019 – Best wine and cava tours
v

CavaCava CodorniuspainWinewine tourwine tourismWine toursWineryWinery tour
0
FacebookTwitterPinterest

You may also like

Best Wineries near Cape Town

Epic and fabulous, the best things to do...

Things to do in Sitges, where to eat...

Things to do in Napa Valley

A local’s guide to one day in Barcelona

Top 10 wineries near Barcelona to visit in...

Top-3 UNESCO countries: China, Spain and Italy –...

Barcelona itinerary – Where a Barcelonian would take...

Khao Yai’s PB Valley Winery – Thai winemaker...

Catalan Christmas traditions – The shitter, the pooping...

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Maldives vs Bora Bora, where will YOU have the best vacation?

    September 8, 2019
  • 2

    300+ Instagram bio quotes and caption ideas to inspire

    June 1, 2019
  • 3

    The world’s least visited countries – Unknown and rare destinations

    June 19, 2019
  • 4

    100+ Great Things to do in Seoul (+ your personalised wish list)

    September 20, 2019
  • 5

    All the hipster, fun and cool things to do in New York

    October 24, 2019
  • 6

    Best things to do in Phuket in 2019

    June 18, 2019

Recent Posts

  • Places to visit and things to do in Jaisalmer, The Golden City

    December 6, 2019
  • Best beach resort and hotels in Langkawi

    December 4, 2019
  • Things to do in Guam – the complete guide to Guam

    December 3, 2019
  • The best beaches in Malta

    December 2, 2019
  • A detailed comparison of the best luxury trains in India

    November 29, 2019
  • Fun things you can find at Mustafa Centre Singapore

    November 28, 2019

follow US on instagram

Instagram post 2190088942622231722_945610586 SILK ROAD - How many is too many Mars? ;) .
Having some fun with Photoshop and the Presidential suite at the Golden Eagle luxury train while on our way to Turkmenistan.
.
#LuxuryTrain #SilkRoad #Ladyinred #catalanspelmon #ViathersDC #luxurytravel #Turkmenistan #Uzbekistan #SheIsNotLost
Instagram post 2187190630332045385_945610586 TASHKENT - Can you guess who that is and where I'm.standing?
.
This is Cosmonauts metro station in the capital of Uzbekistan. The oldest surviving metro system in central asia.
.
Since 2018 you are allowed to photograph the many ornate and themed stations and platforms in the metro including this one devoted to Soviet astronauts like Yuri Gagarin the first person to travel to space. .
Tue colours of the tiles change from blue to black and white like the Earth's atmosphere.
.
The metro could not be photographed until 2018 because it was set aside as an air shelter in case of nuclear attacks this being a sensitive military target heavily guarded.
.
#Tashkent #Metro #Uzbekistan #SilkRoad #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon #yurigagarin #astronaut #travel
Instagram post 2185741690449525730_945610586 JODHPUR - Scroll all the way to see a panoramic view.
.
The Blue City of Jodhpur in Rajasthan has a city core with most houses painted in blue, inside and out. This has given the city its nickname .
The colour is associated with the Brahmin, an Indian caste of teachers and priests that follow Shiva and like to paint their houses blue, the colour of this Hindu God.
.
The colour is also believed to keep mosquitoes away and, let's admit it, makes for amazing photography.
.
#Hosted #Jodhpur #Rajasthan #IncredibleIndia #IndiaSomeday #MyNextVacay #SheIsNotLost #TLPicks #girlpowertravel #travelingwomen_ #Ladyinred #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2183117215862352122_945610586 SINGAPORE - I love Singapore's colonial shop house architecture but did you know there are 4 marked style periods?
.
The most typical and recognisable style is this one, with the ornate facade and the top windows that were typical of the 2nd half of the 19th century, but there are 3 other from later periods the last one of which evolved into Art Deco architecture (with the square facades straight lines and high spyres).
.
These houses on the picture are in Emerald Hill, a very high end area off Orchard Road that is quiet and lined with very expensive and pretty homes.
.
Shophouse architecture can also be found in Malacca and Penang, in Malaysia.
.
#YourSingapore #Singapore #SGIG #singapore_insta #SingaporeArchitecture #singaporeinsiders #EmeraldHill #Shophouse #singaporeig #VisitSingapore #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2180684707539431680_945610586 MERV, TURKMENISTAN - a UNESCO site in the middle of the desert that was inhabited by several civilisations from the Bronze Age till the Middle Ages.
.
Although not much of Merv has been preserved and a lot still needs to be excavated, this Mausoleum to Sultan Ahmed Sanjar is the only full structure standing. .
It is said that when the Moguls ransacked the area they spared ig for fear. .
The mausoleum dates to the 12th century and it had a dome decorated with  lie glazed tiles as was typical in the area.
.
The mausoleum does not hold his tomb because they were worried about tomb robbers so it ended in another unknown location. .
This structure and Sultan Sanjat are found on Turkmenistan notes.
.
#Turkmenistan #BBCTravel #NatGeoTravel #TLPicks #centralAsia #desert #UNESCO #Merv #AncientArchitecture #SilkRoad
Instagram post 2179257215733694078_945610586 BUKHARA - I have never been so happy to wake up at 5am than to explore the empty streets of Bukhara as the sun was rising.
.
This ancient city along the Silk Road still has many well preserved mosques, markets, caravanserai and madrasas most of which have these truly stunning domed gates. I could stare at them for hours, each unique, each the result of so much intricate work.
.
Alone with just our cameras, tripod and a thick sweater (it was really cold!) @edwin.grummitt and I wandered the streets waiting for the sunlight to hit the blue tiles, it was magical. I have him to thank for this great shot.
.
#Bukhara #Uzbekistan #madrasa #IslamicArchitecture #ladyinred #catalanspelmon #silkroad #silkroute #travelphotography #sheisnitlost #girlswhotravel #dametraveler
Instagram post 2177808460953986184_945610586 SAMARKAND - The completely breathtaking Registan Square with it's three madrasas and many mosques is one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen.
.
Samarkand was one of the most famous stops along the Silk Road and it's filled with incredible sights.
.
I have to say I could have spent a whole day just in this square looking at the details of all the buildings. .
Photo by my best friend and favourite travel partner @edwin.grummitt
.
#SilkRoad #Samarkand #Uzbekistan #RegistanSquare #SilkRoute #BlueTiles #GoldenEagleLuxuryTrains #Registan #Ladyinred #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2176401653081626703_945610586 KHIVA - Khiva used to be a major stop along the Silk Road and is famous for this large blue minaret that you see in the background and which is in fact unfinished.
.
As a stop in the Silk Road, it gathered importance centuries ago, but for sobering and dark reasons as it was home to one of the most important slave markets in the region and to a large prison.
.
Today, Khiva receives some tourism although it is less famous than Samarkand or Bukhara. It is often referred to as a living museum because most of the old buildings are now used for tourism infrastructure and shops but are not inhabited.
.
I'm standing atop the former wall of the citadel some parts of which have been preserved.
.
#SilkRoad #Khiva #Uzbekistan #Citadel #catalanspelmon #girlswhotravel #TLPicks #NatGeoTravel
Instagram post 2173462647486320005_945610586 STEPPE - I love train travel, I always have, and if its onboard a luxury train even better. Fine China, silverware, crystal glasses and a cooked to order breakfast the train makes its way across the Uzbek steppe. .
I never knew how much of central asia is vast emptiness, pure dusty desert with little life, kilometer upon kilometer of nothingness to the naked eye. But there is life, just hidden and adapted to the extreme heat and cold, to the lack of water.
.
This is why the cities along the Silk Route were so important to traders and caravans, among so much hardship, they were real oasis.
.
I couldn't peel myself away from the window trying to imagine what it must have been like. .
#Uzbekistan #SilkRoute #Eggbenedict #GoldenEagleLuxuryTrains #LuxuryTrain #CentralAsia #Viewfromthewindow #girlswhotravel #Breakfast #RiseandShine #LuxuryTravel #NotSponsored #Steppe
Instagram post 2169794654189413512_945610586 GIRLS GETAWAY - Ingredients:
- 2 overworked girls
- 2 hour spa at a private villa
- Bottle of champagne
- Great views
- 1 Luxury villa
- An amazing big bed
.
= OMMMMMM
.
WHO WOULD RATHER BE HERE?
.
#Hosted #Spa #girlsgetaway #girlsweekend #spavilla #AlilaAnji #AlilaExperience #HyattHotels #Hyatt #PetriePRLifestyle #PetriePR #China #LuxuryHotel #LuxuryVilla #bubbly #champagne #girlslovetravel #girlstrip #girlswhotravel #friends

Your window into luxury and out of the ordinary destinations

Subscribe to my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

About

  • ABOUT ONCE IN A LIFE TIME JOURNEY
  • ABOUT THE TEAM
  • WHERE WE HAVE BEEN
  • PRESS
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Reach Out

  • CONTACT US
  • PARTNER

Quick Links

  • SITEMAP
  • BOOKS
  • INCOME
  • DIGITAL MARKETING
  • DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 2019 . All Rights Reserved. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program