Penedes, a bike ride, and great wine – gotta love it

While visiting Tarragona, Spain, we took the opportunity to visit the Penedes wine region. I love cava! We have previously enjoyed bike tours in vineyards in other countries. Bike Motions caught my eye as they provide wonderful detail on their tours and what you would be doing during the day. They also have amazing self-directed bike tours for those not wanting to be part of a pack. Bike Motions arranged our bikes, a guide, as well as our vineyard booking, and also, as a treat, booked our lunch for us as well! This post provides details on our wonderful experience with Bike Motions and Cellar Eudald Massana!

Bike Motions

Albert Massana, co-owner of Bike Motions, started this venture in 2015.  He knows this territory inside and out – he is 4^thgeneration of winegrowers in the area, and is passionate about cycling.  His enthusiasm for biking, the region, winemaking, and life overall is infectious and fun!

When we arrived via train from Tarragona, Bike Motions is in the same parking area as the train station.  It was very wet, and we were all hoping the rain was going to stop soon.  No problem for Albert, however.  He nimbly adjusted the itinerary and provided us the option to do the vineyard first, and bike after – the four of us agreed with this.  To give the winery some time before our arrival, he took us for a short scenic drive and pointed out landmarks and provided history of area.

Highly recommend this company, and in particular, Albert.  We loved our day in the Penedes!

Vineyard Visit

Climate of Region

The climate of Penedès is Mediterranean. It is characterized by hot summers and mild winters with moderate rainfall. However, it has varied altitudes and proximity to the coast, so it has climatic diversity. 

The region is divided into three sub-zones: the warmer, coastal Baix Penedès producing full-bodied reds; the higher, cooler Alt Penedès at elevations up to 800 meters, ideal for fresh white wines and Cava; and the Medio Penedès in between. This range of climates and altitudes allows for a wide variety of wine styles to be produced within the region.

Cellar Eudald Massana is in the Alt Penedes sub-zone.

Grape Varieties in Alt Penedes

Typical white wine grapes in Alt Penedes include the native Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada (the core Cava grapes), and international varietals such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Red wine varieties include Garnacha, Tempranillo (Ull de Llebre), and Monastrell, alongside the French Bordeaux varieties of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Background on Eudald Massana in Alt Penedes

Eudald Massana is run by the 10^th generation of farmers cultivating these vineyards.  It is a biodynamic winery.  It is sustainable, and uses no irrigation.  Definitely weather conditions make the wine.  They sell to Cordonui (leading cava producer in the market).  There are over 300 wineries in the Penedes wine region, and many are the same size as Eudald.

Production

Although originally all hand-harvested bush vines, the vineyard was transitioned to tree vineyards to mechanize the harvesting.  

Vineyards

In depth information on the topography and regional vineyard composition is available on their website here: https://www.eudaldmassana.com/en/vinyes

Eudald’s vineyards are divided up into 30 hectareas in 31 plots.  There are three basic types of soil throughout the vineyard:  sandy soil (lower parts of estate); gravel and chalk soils (higher areas of the estate where there is more wind); and clay soils.

Cellar Eudald Massana: Wine Tastings in Penedes

We were guided through the winery and the wine tastings by Natalia.

Innat 

• A Cava without sulfites
• From vines located in Subirats, aged in the caves for a minimum of 18-20 months.
• This sparkling had aromas and flavours of lemon, grapefruit and green apple. A light, refreshing sparkling with a delicate mousse.
• A lovely start to our tasting.

Brea 2022

• An orange wine with a golden yellow colour.
• Made from 100% Xarello
• Produced from old vines, it is left on the skin for 4 weeks.
• A lovely aroma of honey, violet and lavender flowers. A delicate flavour with same notes, with additional orange zest notes. Good acidity. 
• A good sipper to pare with a light salad for lunch.

La Creueta Terroir 2019

• This wine, and its depth and complexity, is the result of aging.
• A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot from vines located in Subirats.
• Fruity aromas of red berries with a hint of black currant. 
• Good acidity with balanced medium tannins.
• This is a very good red wine.

Avi Ton 2021

• Made from 100% Xarello grapes
• A Certified Gold Medal winner, produced from 75 year old vines with limited production.
• Pale gold in colour.
• A fresh, bright white wine.
• This wine spent 3 months in acacian barrels (chestnuts) on its own lees.
• Aromas of lemon and butter.
• Flavours of lemon, lemon zest and butter with a complex mouthfeel. 
• Balanced acidity and dry.
• A very good, refreshing white wine.

Brima

• A sweet wine – but not overly so. 
• A late harvest (November) production, aged in oak barrels.
• Made from 100% Viognier grapes
• Produced through noble rot
• Orange colour, with flavours of apricot, hazelnuts and orange, honey
• Balanced acidity.
• A very tasty complement to dessert, foie gras or cheeses.

Summary

The bike tour with Bike Motions and wine tasting with Eudald Massana was wonderful. A truly great day that we both enjoyed. With just four of us on the bike tour (us and another couple from the UK), we were able to get alot of attention and engagement with both Albert and Natalia during our tour and tasting. They both did excellent jobs of answering our questions and sharing with us all they could about their part of the world and what is amazing about it. Highly recommend!

Check out some of our other wine tastings!