New Year celebrations in Catalonia

Starting off the New Year in Catalonia in the right way!

Fancy celebrating New Year’s Eve the way Catalans and Spanish do!? One of the most popular New Year´s Eve tradition is the 12 grapes of good luck. At 12 seconds to midnight the countdown begins and each time the bell rings in a new second, everyone has to eat a grape, for a total of twelve grapes. Insider tip – many people peel the grapes beforehand. Time consuming yes, but they are easier to swallow so worth the effort!

12 Grapes and Cava

Then at the stroke of midnight the cork on the Cava bottle is popped, and people kiss each other on both cheeks.

Cava is the Catalan sparkling wine made by a traditional method in the same way as champagne (with the second fermentation in the bottle). There are some fabulous examples at great prices in comparison to French Champagne. Almost all Cava is produced in Catalonia, especially in the Penedes wine region.

Don’t be fooled into accepting an inferior sparkling wine. You can distinguish cava by the cork, which should be marked with a four-pointed star!

Salut and Happy New Year!