Wine tourism is much more than just discovering the world of wine. It is a way to live experiences, learn about the history of wineries, connect with traditions and the environment... And can also be the best way to enhance your event or meeting. You can hold a meeting while surrounded by vast vineyards, organise an event in a modernist winery, enjoy a wine tasting with your team... The wine tourism offer in Catalonia is immense. The region is home to up to 12 appellations and there are more than 300 wineries that open to the public as a way to share their passion with the world. Discover some of those appellations for yourself. Penedès appellation: a wine on the cutting edge This is the most pioneering wine appellation in Catalonia. Located only 30 minutes outside of Barcelona, it is a wine-making area of huge landscape variety, with both inland vineyards and others near the sea as well as rich historic heritage: monasteries, castles and modernist wineries. The Torres family has been in El Penedès for more than three centuries and offers unique venues for events. The Bodega Waltraud, for example, is a building of elegant and sustainable architecture that is perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape, offering a spectacular open-air plaza that is perfect for any meeting. You can also enjoy the Penedès appellation at Mont-Rubí, which offers its own gastronomy space via a wine bar and restaurant in a fully restored chalet from the late 19th century. At Casa Juvé & Camps, a hundred-year-old winery located in an architectural complex that evokes the famous châteaux of Bordeaux surrounded by vineyards with views of Montserrat, you can organise all sorts of events with a wine tasting included. Priorat appellation: wine tourism in jagged landscapes This is an area of impossibly steep hillsides. The old vineyards have learned to survive the highly varied weather, which is why they say that wine-making here is an act of heroism. The wine traditions of Priorat began with the Chapterhouse of Scala Dei, the first Carthusian monastery in Iberia. Its monks grew grapevines, olive trees and vegetable gardens here. Witness the history for yourself at Terra Dominicata, a former Carthusian farm that has been renovated to house a hotel among the vineyards with its own winery, cooking workshop and large function room. You can also enjoy the landscapes at Mas d’en Bruno, a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Priorat that is perfect for an intimate meeting with views out over the vineyards. Pla de Bages appellation: history of agriculture This region is home to some very special historic heritage: it hides thousands of dry stone huts and troughs that farmers built over centuries to make wine among the grapevines themselves. Local producers pay tribute to this treasure and maintain the tradition to make great wines. Oller del Mas is one of them, located in a spectacular 10th century castle surrounded by the landscapes of a geopark. Its 600 hectares are home to the crops themselves, the winery, a wine tourism centre, accommodation cabins, a gastronomy area and a sports area. Meeting rooms are available at both the restaurant and at the winery and wine bar. Empordà appellation: where the tradition began It was the Greek and Phoenician traders who introduced grapevines and wine into Catalonia during the 6th century AD and they did so at the Greek colony of Empúries in El Empordà, where one of the most important archaeology sites in Iberia has been preserved. They made their typical grenache negra, red and white wines from the vines they grew next to the sea. Hotel Peralada is located in the heart of El Empordà. After a successful business meeting in one of its several function rooms, you can enjoy some Mediterranean haute cuisine, a wine spa (a wellness centre based around the properties of wine), the swimming pool and numerous sports facilities. Cava appellation: the famous sparkling wine from Catalonia The history of Catalan cava dates back to the 19th century and an attempt to perfect the Champagne method. With its epicentre in El Penedès, the history of cava has always been closely tied to modernism and its heritage. The Codorniu cavas are a fine example, located in a majestic modernist complex designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. This is an iconic meeting venue with a capacity for over 1,000 people, spacious function rooms, gardens and more than 30 kilometres of underground cellars. The century-old Freixenet cavas are another of the biggest cava names in Catalonia. This winery is located only 35 minutes from Barcelona, in another modernist building. It offers facilities for meetings and team building activities based on cava.