Caves Pagès Entrena

Caves Pagès Entrena is a family-run winery in Piera, in the Anoia county of Catalonia, producing cava since 1950. The building is listed in Catalonia's inventory of architectural heritage, and its name – "caves" being Catalan for cellars – points directly to the underground rooms where the sparkling wine ages using the traditional method.

Where is the winery and how do you get there?

The estate sits along the road connecting Piera with Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, roughly 6 km from that town, widely regarded as the capital of cava production. The surrounding landscape mixes vineyards, peach orchards and pine woods, a typical Anoia setting where winemaking has long coexisted with other crops. Because of this location, a visit to Caves Pagès Entrena pairs naturally with exploring Sant Sadurní d'Anoia itself and the other cava producers scattered across the region.

Who founded the winery, and what is its history?

The business was founded in 1950 by Joan Pagès Gabarra. It has stayed in the same family ever since, now run by the fourth generation, which continues the principles set out by its founder. That continuity is unusual for the region: many local cava houses have changed hands or been absorbed by larger groups over the decades, while Pagès Entrena has kept its small, family-based scale of production.

What makes the production method here distinctive?

The winery sticks to slow, hands-on stages of cava production rather than automating the whole process. Riddling (settling the yeast sediment) and disgorgement (removing that sediment from the bottle before final corking) are both done manually rather than by machine, a practice increasingly rare even among smaller producers. The winery also deliberately limits output to match current demand, avoiding large stockpiles of finished wine. That approach favours quality control over volume.

What can visitors see during a tour?

Caves Pagès Entrena welcomes visitors for a cellar tour combined with a cava tasting. The visit takes guests through the underground cellars where the wine ages, walks through the stages of cava-making — from harvest through the second fermentation in the bottle to manual disgorgement — and ends with tasting the finished vintages. The experience is aimed mainly at smaller groups and travellers interested in the artisanal, rather than industrial, side of cava production.

Why include this place in a trip through Anoia?

The Anoia region, and the area around Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in particular, is the heartland of Catalan cava, though it is dominated by a handful of large, well-known brands. Caves Pagès Entrena offers a look at a smaller, more intimate side of that same tradition — a family winery that has kept to the same principles for over seventy years. For travellers looking to step off the main cava tourist trail, it makes a natural addition to a visit to the region.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Caves Pagès Entrena located? The winery is on the road between Piera and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, about 6 km from the latter, surrounded by vineyards and orchards.

When was the winery founded? It was founded in 1950 by Joan Pagès Gabarra and has been run by the same family ever since.

What sets this winery's cava production apart? Manual riddling and disgorgement, along with production kept in step with demand rather than building up large stocks.

Can you tour the winery? Yes, a cellar tour combined with a cava tasting is offered, aimed mainly at smaller groups of visitors.