Aperitif at the winery and a walk through the vines.

This plan is short on purpose: a morning, not a whole day. You walk the Camí del Vi in Vilafranca, a flat stroll that explains the vineyard station by station, and then head to a family-run winery in Sant Sadurní for an aperitif: a glass of its wines, a few tapas and the vines in front of you. You are back by mid-afternoon with the rest of Sunday still ahead.

The Morning, Hour by Hour

9:30 · Departure. Take the AP-7 motorway to Vilafranca del Penedès, the capital of the Alt Penedès. By train, the Rodalies R4 stops at both Vilafranca and Sant Sadurní.

10:30 · The Camí del Vi. It starts at the Vilafranca tourist office and ends at the Torre de les Aigües: 3.5 km of flat streets and dirt tracks between vines, which you can do on foot or by bike. Along the way there are eight stations telling the story of the passing seasons in the vineyard and the winery, and for children there is a downloadable game that turns it into a treasure hunt. It is a linear route, so you come back the same way: 7 km there and back, about two hours at a relaxed pace. There is no shade.

12:30 · To the winery. From Vilafranca to Castelo de Pedregosa is a few minutes by road towards Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. The winery is on the outskirts of the village, at kilometre 10.5 of the BP-2151. It is a family-run cava producer, active since 1993, built 26 metres underground and dug out of the rock, on the north slope of the Bitlles river valley. Its vines here, the Ribalta estate, are xarel·lo and macabeo.

13:00 · Aperitif at La Carmeta. La Carmeta is the winery's outdoor terrace: a wine bar serving tapas and small plates from the restaurant kitchen, with the Penedès landscape all around. Order a glass of its sparkling wines and let the table fill up with small plates to share. Book online through the winery's website or by phone; opening times change with the season, so confirm them when you book.

14:30 · The shop. Before you leave, visit the Celleret, the winery shop, if you want to take home a bottle of what you have tasted.

15:00 · Return. Home around four.

If You Want to Turn It into Lunch

The aperitif can stretch out. At the same winery is Umbra, its restaurant, serving seasonal produce cooking: the fish arrives every day from the Vilanova fish market and the meat is organic. It is a longer and pricier option than the terrace, and it is booked separately.

If You Prefer to See the Winery from the Inside

Castelo de Pedregosa runs tours with tastings at weekends at 10:00 and 17:00, always by reservation. If you choose the ten o'clock one, change the order: tour first, Camí del Vi afterwards and aperitif at the end. The other option is the Cava Centre in Sant Sadurní, which on Sundays has sessions at 11:00 and 12:30 for €6 and explains cava with audiovisuals and a tasting.

With Children and Dogs

The Camí del Vi is flat and has its own game for children; with the youngest, walk just a stretch and turn back. The winery organises activities for children: ask when you book. The walk can be done with a dog, on a lead and with water for them, because there is no shade. Ask too whether dogs are allowed on the terrace.