During my time interning in Barcelona I was in a constant debate with myself when deciding how I should spend my weekends. “Should I spend the weekend in [insert country] or should I enjoy the time I have in Spain and explore another nearby city?” and “How can I afford to go there?” This was because the only time I could really enjoy and explore as I wished was during the weekend, when I was not confined to my desk for my internship. I got to explore around my neighborhood and got to know every nook and cranny – usually on my 6 mile run at dusk – but anything that required a longer trajectory had to be done on weekends.

I was extremely lucky to have landed a room with 2 of the coolest people I could’ve wished for, Maddie and Jayden so after only a couple days it felt like we had been friends for years. It wasn’t long before we had all of our weekend trips planned out – Amsterdam, Ibiza, Berlin and Prague. We decided to take these trips every other week so we could have time to enjoy staying close to home during the off weekends while recuperating from all the traveling but still get the experience of our very own “Eurotrip.”

Our Intern abroad program, Barcelona SAE, ended up hosting a day trip to the Codorníu Winery, which luckily landed during one of our “off” weekends. Seeing as we were on a budget and wanting to explore the outskirts of Barcelona, this was a trip we just couldn’t say no to.

We woke up early on a Saturday morning and rode the metro to the school where our bus would be waiting. After everyone had checked in we were on our way to the wineries of Codorníu. The winery dates back over 500 years and has been family owned and run from the beginning. It has since become a leading producer of Cava – Spanish Sparkling Wine – and is produced through a traditional method of fermentation.

Our tour first led us through The Codorníu winery gardens and vineyards and into “the Cathedral of Cava” a beautiful modernist building made of large vaulted ceilings and large windows that fill the room with light. From there we were taken to the table of Aromas where we learned of all the types of cava they produce and the aromas that each encompasses. The next stop was down the stairs and into the underground cellars where we got on a train and were taken through each step in the Cava-making process and learned all about the history and heritage of the Codorníu family. Along the way the tunnels were adorned with traditional grape presses and fermentation machinery endless racks of bottles – all waiting to completely ferment.

We ended our tour in the best way possible – in the tasting room – where we got to try their traditional cava and Rosé cava along with gorgeously made charcuterie plates and a traditional Catalan toast. The great thing about this tasting was that aside from trying their cavas, we also got to learn about the specific aromas and pairings for these two sparkling wines.

Before leaving, I made a stop at the gift shop which featured – among my top picks – rows upon rows of the winery’s full range of cava as well as body products made from Codorníu grapes and champagne scented candles. I decided this was where I would buy some of my presents to bring back to my family and friends as the products were very high  quality and much more meaningful (and useful)  than the shot glasses and t-shirts that could be picked up from the botigas around town.

Despite a wonderful tour because of the sights and the tasting, the tour was elevated to another level due to our tour guide – Jaime – who was clearly as passionate about the process and their winery as one could hope. He joked and connected with every person on the tour individually allowing all of us to leave feeling like all of our questions had been answered. No experience could compare to a great day spent in a beautiful winery with my beautiful friends.