Capital of Cava: Sant Saduní d’Anoia

The town where it bubbles in every corner.

The Capital of Cava is not well known to many people, although it is so close to Barcelona. Sant Saduní d’Anoia is situated just 40km west of the Catalonian capital and it was here Cava was first born. Since then the town has become the home of numerous Cava producers that cherish their legacy and continue to care for their vines and develop their wines in line with the family tradition.

The first time I arrived in Sant Sadurní I was struck by how small this town is. Don’t get me wrong… it is full of things I love and I never have a boring moment when I’m there, but it is very small indeed. It is just one of those towns where you can easily walk from one side to the other and you get the feeling that everyone knows everyone else. This sensation of familiarity is very relaxing and I always feel like I’m sitting in a friend’s living room, even though I might be having a glass of Cava in the centre square. It just feels like home. Of course it helps that I have a lot of friends there now and know my way around the narrow streets. For example, I now know better than to trust the signs on the street corners that supposedly points to the different Cava houses. I also know that there is no logic at all in the opening times for restaurants and stores (I never did understand the concept of siesta) and I know where I can park the car without having to pay. Small things that make you realise that you are
getting to now a place.

The undoubtedly best thing about Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, if you come as a tourist, is the fact that you can’t walk very far before you come across a Cava house, big ones like Freixenet and Codorníu or the smaller ones like Recaredo, Jauma Giró i Giró, Bertha or Collomer. If you are looking for something to taste, just see who is open.
One very good thing is that many of the smaller producers now have open cellar doors where you can just drop in
and many also have guided tours if you call in advance. Another fantastic thing with this small town is that you can be absolutely sure that any restaurant you walk into will have good Cava on the menu. I remember one time when
Andréas and I tried to find somewhere to eat on a Sunday evening and all that was open was a pizzeria that had football on inside and plastic coca cola furniture outside. But to our amazement, they had at least two full pages in the menu of Cava and very good pizza too!

After all of my many trips to the region and days spent in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, I can honestly say that it is one of my favourite places to visit. So if you want to experience Cava for real, don’t settle for a glass in a tapas bar in Barcelona. No, take the train 40 minutes west and find Recaredo Cava House out what it is all about!

Written by Anna Wallner