My experience at the Codorníu Winery was amazing and was one of my favorite professional visits! Just being in Barcelona was mind-blowing, but learning about the history behind cava (that’s the Spanish version of Champagne) and seeing the underground caves that stored wine was unforgettable. This was one of our first visits and it couldn’t have been a better start to our journey through Europe.
We took a charter bus from the hotel in Barcelona to the beautiful winery where all their production and storage was, which did not take long at all. Once we got to Codorníu, we watched a quick video about the history of the company. We were then divided into two teams- red team and lavender team; this was so we could take two trains around the property and get a better tour directed towards smaller groups. We took a train around the property while our tour guide explained in detail what every building was, how it was used, the history behind the founders and their families.
Next we went into a building where they had a model of the whole production ground in a concise structure so it was easy to get a well-rounded picture of what the property actually looked like. There were also older items on display of how they transported the wine around and what the cava was stored in. In the building, there were wine bottles ranging from the smallest to the largest sizes, usually used at weddings. Codorníu also had a nice display of wine scents where everyone got to smell and pick their favorite.
From there we went downstairs into the underground caves, which were ancient parts of the property, and you could tell they were used religiously. One of the coolest things to see were the rows and rows of wine kept in different tunnels where the fermenting wine was produced and stored. They explained that someone would come down and turn hand-by-hand each wine bottle so that they would ferment properly.
At the conclusion of our tour, we were directed into a large room underground for cava tasting. It was at this time that we were reunited with the second group and all of the Forum-Nexus students were able to experience the tasting together. They offered us two different cavas, a pink and a white-colored flavor to try. I would definitely say they were equally amazing and I couldn’t pick between the two. At the gift shop I got a special package of the two cavas combined in a nice box to bring home to my parents. The Codorníu employees were very generous and everyone had a great time.
By: Jordan Donohoe, Forum-Nexus 2014 alumna
