Catalonia is mentioned more than a few times in gastronomic history. It was, after all, home of the ultra-famous El Bulli restaurant, and today hosts three triple Michelin starred restaurants, with many others on the rise.
Restaurants in Barcelona specialize in fine dining, but so are casual eateries dedicated to tapas. Going out for wine and tapas, is the regional sport, to say the least.
The region also has some of the best wines in the country. The great-value sparkling Cava is made here and deep, robust red wines like Priorat have international acclaim. Reds, whites and sparkling wines, the province does it all; and it’s all good.
Catalonia's wine scene
Barcelona is Catalonia’s capital city. The City that Never Sleeps has a vibrant food scene, exciting nightlife, and splendid architecture. All of which lures over 14 million visitors to Barcelona annually.
You can spend days getting to know the best restaurants in Barcelona, nibbling your way through tasty tapas with a glass of wine in hand. But, with so much on offer, it’s easy to miss the best of the best.
Here’s a piece of advice before going wine bar crawling: allocate a little time in your schedule to visit the vines. Barcelona is minutes away from the most impressive wine cellars and vineyards in the region. Half-day tours are easily available and trust us, they’re worth it.
Take a train to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, 45 minutes west, and visit the Cava producers Freixenet and Codorniu. These wineries have been making sparkling wine in the Champagne method for years; it’s a wonderful experience.
White grapes in St. Sadurni, Barcelona. Source: Justus Hayes [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Visit the Wine Museum, Vinseum, in the southern city of Vilafranca, one hour south of Barcelona. There are plenty of reasons to visit this small town; of course, we mean wine tastings. Run your fingers through the vines and breathe the fresh air.
Immerse yourself in the wine country and head back to Barcelona as night falls; it’s time to party, wine style.
4 wonderful wine bars in Barcelona
For you, the wine lover visiting Barcelona, we’ve compiled a few of the best wine bars in town, some of them in the world.
Monvinic Bar
This is one of the best wine tasting bars on earth. They’ve built the whole concept around an impressive cellar that holds 25,000 bottles of wine from all over the world, over 3000 selections! Ten years after its grand opening, the bar still thrives with locals and tourists.
An enthusiastic team of sommeliers choose 50 by-the-glass-options every day, and there’s a nice selection of food to pair. There’s something for every palate, but don’t miss the local wines, many of them are only available in Monvinic.
Monvinic is two blocks east of the Passeig de Gracia subway station.
Open from 13:00 to 23:00
monvinic.com
Vinoteca Torres
Torres is a big Spanish winery with global presence. Their wines range from simple, everyday wine to iconic masterpieces. Barcelona is home to one of its most ambitious projects, the Vinoteca Torres wine bar.
Wines here are all made by the Torres family, either in Spain, Chile or the USA. But this doesn’t mean there’s no variety. Dozens of deliciously astounding options, from sparkling to red, are on offer. You can even try their new range of alcohol-free wines, just saying.
A fantastic, modern Mediterranean cuisine complements the wine with precision. A fantastic wine bar in Barcelona.
Find Vinoteca Torres on Passeig de Gracia Avenue, 78.
Mon - Thu 12:00 to 24:00
Fri - Sat 12:00 to 1:00
lavinotecatorres.com
Tribut by El Petit Celler
This is an ultramodern wine bar with bottles from floor to roof. You can taste more than 200 wines, some for as little as 3 euros, and the wine list is serious business. When is the last time you tried the Vega Sicilia Unico 1970?
Enjoy many wines not just from Spain, but also from France and even Australia. Their Sherry collection is hard to beat, too. Find bite-sized tapas, made with high-quality ingredients presented beautifully. This is one wine bar you’ll want to visit more than once.
This place is one block away from the famous Plaza Francesc Mecia.
Best ambiance from 17:00 to 22:00
tributbarcelona.com
Can Cisa, Bar Brutal
This is not your average Barcelona wine bar. These guys specialize in natural wines, artisanal products undisturbed, with no added sulphur or conservatives. This bar is known for its wild food and loud parties. The bar calls itself the Brutal Bar, but it’s quite friendly.
The by-the-glass list changes every week, and is short compared to other places, but you won’t find ordinary wine here. French, Spanish and Italian wines, made by small artisanal producers, make most of the list. Enjoy Frappato, Saperavi, Vin Jaune and many other distinguished wines in a fun atmosphere with simple, tasty finger food. They make their own vermouth; don’t miss it.
This place is in the city center, very close to the Mediterranean shore.
Tue - Sat 13:00 to 1:00
cancisa.cat
Wine in Barcelona is as good as it gets, and these bars don’t just offer a great wine experience but are seriously devoted to food.
Visit our favourite wine bars in Barcelona and tell us about yours. Wine is all about sharing, isn’t it?
White grapes in St. Sadurni, Barcelona. Source: Justus Hayes [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons