Set deep in the beautiful Catalonian rolling hills is a family-owned organic vineyard; 2km from the Mediterranean, Alta Alella is the closest vineyard to Barcelona, and the product of one man’s ambitious dream.

The family’s forward-thinking innovation has created Alta Alella – an award-winning vineyard, producing beautiful wines ranging from the local Cava-Privat to Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. On top of all the accolades, they also offer a unique programme for children visiting the vineyard to promote the understanding of oenology from a young age.

We visited Alta Alella vineyard immediately  after landing in Barcelona – the first stop on our Costa Barcelona press-trip, and I really can’t think of a better place to get over a red-eye than this!

As soon as you arrive at the vineyard, you’re immediately taken aback by the extraordinary scenery: rolling hills with beautifully cared-for vines, a few striking buildings that blend seamlessly with the environment, and in the background, the Mediterranean sparkling away.

Visiting Alta Alella

Our tour of Alta Alella began with wine-tasting. A very friendly sommelier introduced us to the vineyard’s wide range of wines, which were paired with some decadent, freshly prepared tapas. We were told about each grape’s identity, their origin, and the role they played in the making of the vineyard’s several wines.

Following this essential introduction, we were introduced to Alta Alella’s outstanding child-friendly tour of the vineyard.

What to expect visiting Alta Alella with Kids

The vineyard’s children’s tour starts with a dramatisation of a book about a little grape who goes through the process of becoming delicious wine. It has been wonderfully illustrated, and it’s a great introduction to wine-making. The storytelling takes place in the vineyard’s cellar, so the kids hear about it, see it, and learn.

After the enthusiastic sommeliers (Matilde and Mauri)  shared their knowledge about each individual type of grape used in Alta Alella wines, we were each given a sticker with new names on them, asked to have a little dance, and sit down for a Q&A about ourselves! Who was I, I hear you ask? Well, I was Parellada –  a local grape, essential for cava-making! More exciting was Cathy from Mummy Travels, who was a VIG, or Very Important Grape – a lovely Sauvignon!

We had a race up to the cellar, where we learnt even more about the wine-making process, including watching how grapes get chosen, discovering why dry ice is used (to stop fermentation) and saw thousands of bottles of cava waiting to see daylight.

At the end of the tour, we were presented with a super-fresh grape juice  – the nicest one I’ve ever had, which would be a real treat for the little ones.

Back inside, we were taken to the kitchen side of the vineyard for a truffle-making workshop – could this day get any better? Yes, it could. We were taught how to mould the truffle around a grape, then cover it in popping candy, dried strawberries, or just plain old lovely chocolate – DREAM.

And because I completely overdid it here with the photos, I’m leaving the foodie ones for the end! Here’s a sample of the wonderful canapés we were served during our tasting – they ranged from a tuna tartar to roast beef and asparagus, topped off with baby eels and a quail egg – seriously delicious, and beautifully paired with the wines. It was the best start to our Costa Barcelona trip that we could’ve asked for!

Are you convinced yet? When in Barcelona, a trip to Alta Alella is a must-do!

Find out how to book your visit:

  altaalella.wine info@altaalella.cat enoturisme@altaalella.cat

Camí Baix de Tiana, s/n, 08328 Alella, Barcelona, Spain +34 93 469 37 20

Visit  Alta Alella’s Website | Follow them on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter 

nb: I was a guest of the Costa Barcelona Tourist Board, but as always all opinions are my own.