Inspired by the so-called “Wine Roads” that exist in the rest of the world, this is the first wine tourism project in all of Spain to offer a linear route of great historical and cultural value starting in the vineyards and ending at the coast

On May 11, twelve Penedès wineries and seven towns in the Penedès and Garraf counties announced a new wine tourism initiative. Named La Carretera del Vi it retraces the old trade route that connected the inland region of the Penedès with the coast. The Romans used this road to bring the wine produced in the area to the rest of the world.

Felip Puig, the Minister for Business and Employment of the Catalan Government, presided at the event, which was presented by Marcelo Desvalls, President of the La Carretera del Vi association, Miguel Torres Maczassek, founding member of the before mentioned association, and the historian Xavier Esteve of the Institut d'Estudis Penedesencs. Pere Regull, the Mayor of Vilafranca, also spoke at the event, representing the towns included in the route.  Around one hundred people attended the presentation, including Marian Muro, the Director General for Tourism, Francesc Olivella, President of the Alt Penedès County Council, representatives of local entities and wine producers as well as the wineries that make up La Carretera del Vi.  

Both the Minister and the Mayor of Vilafranca del Penedès emphasized the commitment of the private sector to leading and developing a joint wine-tourism project with public-sector support. The Minister stated, “What makes this initiative so valuable is the ability of big and small wineries to join forces in creating a variety of coordinated wine-related experiences of the highest quality. This in turn will help to promote Catalonia as one of the world's great wine regions in addition to boosting the regional economy during this period of economic recovery.”