DO CAVA
BODEGAS CODORNIU

www.codorniu.com
Av. Codorníu s/n, 08770 Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Barcelona). España. Tel+34 93 8183232

Codorniu is one of the largest historical cavas in Penedés. Located in a wonderful modernist building, it offers the opportunity of visiting one of the most impressive winery in Spain. They have a long tradition of welcoming visitors.

Historiy:

The Codorníu family’s wine business goes back to the middle of the 16th century. In 1659 Anna Codorníu married Manual Raventós and the families, each with a long wine tradition, were united. Years later, in 1872, Josep Raventós produced cava for the first time in Spain using the “Traditional Method” and established a completely new industry in the Penedés region. The Codorníu cellars at Sant Sadurní d’Anoia were built on the orders of Manuel Raventós between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century (1895-1915). At that time Codorníu was producing about 100,000 bottles of cava per year, and the size of the new structure seemed overly grandiose. The location of the winery, then some distance from the road and the railway line, was also unusual for the time. Manuel Raventós, however, was insistent that the family winery should be close to the vineyard as he was aware that such proximity would be the key to improving the quality of the wines.

Throughout its history, Codorníu has maintained a close relationship with the Spanish Royal Family. The most recent visit of the Spanish monarchs to Codorníu was in 2001 to celebrate the company’s 450th anniversary.

Architectural style:

The imposing winery which houses the Codorníu cellars was built by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch who, together with Gaudí, was one of the outstanding exponents of the school of modern architecture. The Codorníu cellars were declared a National Monument of Historic and Artistic Interest in 1976, in view of their pure modernist style. All of them are characterized by their cathedral-like naves, supported by striking arches and by the use of terracotta brick.

Vineyards:

Codorníu requires some 6,000 hectares of vineyard to supply the winery. Its own vineyards cover 30% of its production and the remaining 70% is bought from several hundred growers in the Penedés region, with whom Codorníu has long-term working agreements. All these growers receive technical advice on the cultivation of their vineyards and benefit from the advances and improvements in Research and Development, especially at Raimat.

Winemaking:

Codorníu controls the production process of all its cavas from vineyard planting to finished product. The winery has the most modern installations and the very latest equipment. The equipment for fruit reception is located in the buildings at ground level together with the destemming machinery, presses and stainless steel tanks, where fermentation is carried out at controlled temperatures. The winery’s six presses, four pneumatic and two continuous systems, allow grapes to be pressed in optimum conditions for production of the Codorníu cavas.

Beneath Codorníu’s buildings there is a labyrinth of subterranean passages that extends for more than 30 kilometres. Here bottles are stored for ageing and during secondary fermentation. All Codorníu wines undergo secondary fermentation which lasts between eighteen months and four years. Each year the winery produces about 27 million bottles.