The vineyards of the Penedès roll out in every direction from Vilafranca, and the Cova dels Segarulls lies among them, a few kilometres outside the town in the low hills toward the coastal range.
Vilafranca del Penedès is the capital of this wine region, a lively town of almost forty thousand people. It is famous for its castells, the human towers that teams of castellers build to dizzying heights during festivals, especially at the Festa Major at the end of August, when the town's teams compete in the Plaça de Sant Jaume. The Vinseum, the museum of wine cultures of Catalonia, explains the history of wine in the region. The town has a beautiful Gothic basilica, Santa Maria, and a modernist market.
The Penedès is the home of cava, the Catalan sparkling wine, made mainly around Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, a short ride north, where the big houses like Codorníu and Freixenet have their cellars, some in buildings by modernist architects. The countryside is a patchwork of vineyards, farmhouses and small villages, with the jagged silhouette of Montserrat on the horizon. The riding is gentle, with quiet roads winding through the vineyards and over low hills; the road south over the Garraf massif to Sitges and the coast is more dramatic, with tight bends and sea views.
Vilafranca has fuel, shops, restaurants and hotels. Local dishes include xató, a salad with salt cod and a romesco-like sauce, and seasonal calçots, grilled spring onions dipped in sauce, served in late winter at outdoor feasts called calçotades. Many wineries offer tours and tastings, but if you are riding, enjoy the views and buy a bottle for later. The vineyards are most beautiful in autumn, when the leaves turn red and gold after the harvest, and in spring, when the new shoots appear.