In Catalonia, wine and cava festivals are part of the celebration of life and its pleasures. They are a living expression of the pride and esteem that Catalans have for their land and its products. After working all year in the vineyard, it is time to celebrate the harvest and the omens for a good vintage. Throughout the country, popular festivals are organized throughout the year, marked by the life cycle of the vineyard and the wine-making process. Discover how the passing of the seasons mark these popular holidays. Winter At the beginning of the year it is time to prune. The vine has been resting for a few months since the harvest and is still half asleep. Pruning is very important as it is key to improving the yield of the vine and the quality of the grapes. In March the first shoots leave the vine and look for the first rays of the sun. A new year begins, full of hopes for the new harvest. It's still time to taste the new wine at popular festivals. It is also the time to savour the new oil. Many of the celebrations at the beginning of the year combine new wine and new oil, such as Corder de la Terra Alta Gastronomic Days or the Festival of Wine and New Oil of Sant Jaume de Domenys. Spring Spring is the season of renewal and effervescence. The vines have already started to sprout and it is time to plough the land to remove weeds and aerate the soil. It is also time to prune the vines: it is the so-called green pruning. It is about removing the excess leaves from the vine so that the air circulates more freely and the Sun reaches it more easily. In this way, humidity that can generate fungi is avoided. The festivals of these months are an invitation to enjoy the outdoors, discover the new buds of the vines and participate in the open days of the wineries. It is a unique opportunity to walk among vineyards and get to know the life cycle of wine up close. In the spring, various festivals take place in Catalonia, such as the Wine Festival Vivid, the Tocs de Vi in Girona, the Mostra de Vi of the Empordà in Figueres, the Wine Fair of Falset, the ViGralla in the Penedès, the Music Valls Va de Vins, the Pyrenees Wine Fair in Talarn, the DO Tarragona Wine Fair, the Xarel·lada (Xarel·lo Festival) in Cunit; the Temps de Vi fair in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Primavera DO Terra Alta in different municipalities of the DO, Cota Vins (the high-altitude wine festival of Mediona), ViBa (the Bages Wine Fair) and the Trepat Festival in Barberà de la Conca. Summer With the arrival of summer, the harvest is just around the corner. The wineries and their winemakers observe the grapes daily to decide which is the optimal time to harvest. There are those who start earlier to prevent the heat from making wines with a higher alcohol content. Others, those in higher and mountainous terrain, are the last to remove the grapes from the vine. The harvest is a festival in itself, the celebration of the fruit of the earth, in warm and long days. In this period, visits to wineries to participate in or observe the grape harvest multiply. It is an invitation to wine tourism lovers to experience this festival. Among the wine and cava celebrations these months in Catalonia, the Music Festival in the Vineyards of Subirats and the Harvest Festival - Conca de Barberà DO Fair as well as the ViJazz in Vilafranca del Penedès stand out. Autumn The harvest is over and frantic activity begins in the wineries. It is the time for the first fermentation of the grapes and around November 11, for Sant Martí, the first taste of the harvest is made: the new wine, with a limited production. It is a fruity and fresh wine, which still recalls the taste of grapes and which pairs perfectly with seasonal products. It is an ideal time to experience the warmth of the Catalan wine community, with activities that invite you to taste, learn and celebrate the fruits of the land in an atmosphere of communion and festive joy. Among the wine and cava festivals of this period, the Alella Harvest Festival, the Sample of Sausages and Highland Wines in La Llacuna, the Cavatast in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the Most Festival-Sample of Penedès wines and cavas, the Most–International Wine and Cava Film Festival in Vilafranca del Penedès, the Bages Harvest Festival, L'embutada - Tarragona new wine festival, the Cambrils Wine and Gastronomy Festival, the Ascó Cava Sample and Christmas Fair, the Lleida Wine Festival, the Verdú harvest and wine festival, the Gandesa Wine Festival and the Calonge New Wine Festival, Enjoy the life cycle of wine in Catalonia, through fairs and popular festivals.