Vine to Vintage: Hotel Arts Introduces New Cava Circuit

In response to a growing interest in Catalan sparkling wine, Hotel Arts Barcelona will introduce an exclusive Cava Circuit through the Penedès Region. Taking advantage of the harvest season, the experience organized by the hotel, in collaboration with the company Cava Emotions, will introduce guests to multiple wineries, giving them the opportunity to create their own cava, and experience the harvest process from start to finish.

The experience begins with an exclusive tour of the renowned vineyards of Mas Comtal, known for their organic viticulture. Their cava and wines are offered in prestigious restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca and two Michelin starred Enoteca Restaurant at Hotel Arts.

After touring the vineyards, guests may participate in the collection and pressing of grapes, to learn the ancient technique. Following the instructions of a guide, participants will trim and prune the vines, then harvest grapes. From there, they’ll fill a vat with the collected fruits, pressing them to extract the “must”, a mixture of squished skins, seeds, and pulp. The must will then be fermented, resulting in sparkling wine. Thus, guests will have experienced the creation of cava from start to finish.

To make the experience unforgettable, once the cava they’ve harvested and pressed has aged, each guest will receive six bottles with a custom label, which may include the signature of the winemaker + oenologist, for a lifetime keepsake. This will be followed by a winery visit, for an exclusive tasting of a selection of cavas from the vineyard where they harvested earlier in the day. Appetizers with a Hotel Arts sommelier will accompany the tasting.

Additional stops on the circuit will include: Cava Guilera which is leading the way in Enotourism initiatives, Finca Ca N’Estella with it’s historical wine presses and “Masia” (country house) from 1789, and Llopart Cava vineyards, an estate passed down through the generations from 1385. Llopart Cava offers “Original Gran Reserva 1887” to package participants from Hotel Arts Barcelona, from their first cava vintage ever produced.

As the external tour concludes, the region’s history having seeped into both the heart and bloodstreams of the visitors, a return to 2 Michelin starred Enoteca restaurant will reveal a special seafood menu by 5 Michelin starred chef Paco Pérez, paired with cava selections from the vineyards visited.

The cellar at Enoteca restaurant contains approximately 500 wines and cavas. Thanks to the newly introduced, high-tech Coravin system, tasting the most expensive or aged bottles is possible for guests with a taste for luxury. The system pierces the cork with a fine needle, without opening or spoiling the whole bottle for a sip, then the cork expands and seals the small incision.

The special harvest package offers guests the following amenities

• Vintage Harvest experience at Mas Comtal with Cava Emotions
• Hotel Arts Sommelier tasting
• Pack of personalized bottles
• Overnight stay at the hotel
• Dinner at Enoteca with wine from Penedes
• Special Welcome Pack “vintage” in the room (+ wine-infused pastry.)

The cost of this exclusive experience is from approximately $1,700 USD per person and will be offered from September-October 2016.