VILA VINITECA (El Born)

Occupying what seems like a whole block of the Born neighbourhood, Vila Viniteca is the big daddy of the Barcelona wine shops with additional stores in the city’s Illa Diagonal shopping centre and Madrid. In total they have some 7,500 wines from all over the world on their books and supply many of Barcelona’s top restaurants and bars.

Although they do offer some great value wines as well, the Born store concentrates on excellent quality with price tags to match. All the staff are trained sommeliers and the wines are chosen with such care that every single bottle I’ve tried from them has been a winner.

Back in 2000 Vila Viniteca led the Spanish wine industry in pioneering en primeur sales, or sales of wines from top producers before they have been bottled. Walking around the shop is a journey through some of Europe’s most revered vineyards. Many of Spain’s most prestigious wines are represented, including numerous vintages of Vega Sicilia and Priorat’s Clos Erasmus, as well as big name Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux estates.

The wine shops, though, are just the tip of the Vila Viniteca iceberg. Next door to the wine shop is La Teca, one of the best Barcelona gourmet food stores which started life in 1932 as a grocer’s. Today they’re justifiably renowned for their enormous cheese chiller. They source more than 350 cheeses from artisan cheesemakers all over the world alongside quality Spanish meats, preserves and olive oils are strongly represented. The shop offers both a home delivery service, in store tasting space and a magnificent 14th century cellar for private dinners.

Vila Viniteca has also carved out a niche as a hub for wine education. In their nearby tasting room they host everything from introductory courses to masterclasses on topics like Burgundy vs New World Pinot Noir, the wines of Margaux and Gran Reserva Riojas. Every other year they even hold a grand tasting called La Musica del Vi or “The Music of Wine” which features many of the winemakers who supply them, as well as an annual Wine Tasting in Pairs competition with a €20,000 top prize.

Perhaps best of all, Vila Viniteca’s vast wine selection is available to purchase via their online wine shop. They offer reasonable transport rates to most European countries and deliver throughout mainland Spain so it couldn't be easier to fill your cellar with delicious Spanish discoveries.

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