One of our favorite stops in all of Costa Brava, Spain was the Mas Ponsjoa winery. An almost five century old family run business, it boasts one of the oldest farmhouses in the village of Calonge.
Transportation to the vineyard was by bicycle. The views of the countryside along the way were fantastic. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a glass of water from the well that, by the looks of it, is as old as the farm itself- established in 1660.
The owner seemed to enjoy taking us on the tour as much as we enjoyed being on it. The pride he felt was obvious as he walked and spoke, not only of the vineyard, but of the olives, strawberries, cherries and other produce grown on the farm as well. All the produce and wine is sold to locals. They come to the vineyard to purchase a bottle (or two) of natural wine or what ever else might be in season. Some of the produce is also sold at the market or canned and sold locally. Nothing is wasted at Mas Ponsjoa!
The tour continued with a walk through the wine cellar – absolutely amazing! It was two stories under ground with two different levels used for different wines stored at different temperatures.
After the tour, we gathered at a large outside table ,under a covered area, to sample the various wines, have a few snacks and learn about some of their wine making processes.
We were flabbergasted to learn that the wines are only sold at the vineyard, are organic and cost anywhere from 1.50€ for the white to 3.50€ for the dessert, with the rosé and black/red falling in between. Seriously, a bottle of fabulous, organic wine for 1.50€ ($1.68) is insane!
Kids making a new friend
The kiddos were treated to a mini lesson on wine barrels and wine making after finishing their snacks and cooling offwith mor e water. They learned that if you move the wine barrel, the wine will be ruined. They really must have been paying attention because each day, for several days, they told us more bits and pieces about what they learned. All three kids sat in a half circle and listed attentively -a well designed lesson to keep the kids attention.
I found it fascinating that school tours are held here as well. It’s a great way to teach children about wine, growing fresh fruits and vegetables and local farm living.
By the end of our tour no one wanted to leave. It was a lovely place with beautiful views and wonderful people. Thank you Mas Ponsjoan winery for an excellent experience! Derrick said he’d go back to work a day on the farm for more wine and education!
Mas Ponsjoan uses traditional wine making techniques and sells direct to the customer from the farmhouse. A visit should definitely be on your list when visiting the area!
Address:
17251 Calonge (Girona)
Phone:
972 65 16 26
Website:
http://www.masponsjoan.net/index.html
Tours:
Tours are held on Wednesdays by appointment with a cost of just 3€ – 10 € , depending on option. Tours are organized for groups with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 people.
How to get There:
Bike from the center or rent a car and drive. A detailed map and GPS coordinates are available on their website.
See more Calonge tourism options for help planning your next visit.
Disclosure: My family was invited as guests to experience family-friendly destinations in Costa Brava. All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.
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[…] A bike ride through the countryside to Mas Ponsjoan Winery was one of the highlights of our trip. All the produce and wine produced on the farm is sold to locals. They come to the vineyard to purchase a bottle (or two) of “natural” wine and what ever else might be in season. You can read all about our farm to table experience in Spain HERE. […]
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wow
cheers
I love that they do and education program for the kids! We’ve taken our kids on wine tours in the past but never anything designed for them. That’s such a great way to fuel their interest at a young age.
I was impressed too Elaine. I love it when businesses take time to educate kids – and make it fun.
I wonder why the wine gets spoiled if a barrel is moved! It’s cool to teach kids about this kind of stuff! I remember helping my parents make homemade wine from grapes in our backyard! Such fun!
Amazing how I discover my own country through your blog posts! I had never heard of Calonge before. Oh my geography.. 😀 Thanks for that!
This sounds awesome, I never really appreciated wine and wine tours until we traveled through Napa Valley a few months ago – now I’m totally hooked! We’ll be hitting up Europe next year so I’ll have to make sure we go through Spain.
Awesome that they were so accommodating to kids on the tour. Love it!
I would have never thought that a winery would be an educational trip for kids! Did you purchase any of your favorite!?
On a similar winery tour in Costa Brava, I too found it surprising to learn that the wines are sold for so little. I remember being told that the conditions for growing wine are ideal around Calonge and costs are low for family businesses that have been doing it forever. Even then 2 euros sounds very little, doesn’t it?
Sounds like a great tour and I can’t believe wine is that cheap!
I love Costa Brava! Sounds like you had a great tour with the family 🙂
I love wine tours! Your trip must have been so much fun. You did all these great food & wine things! I’d like to retrace your footsteps and do all of those things.
That’s the first time I’ve seen kid-friendly lessons at a winery! I wish that kind of stuff was available in the States 😛 By the way, did you try the dessert wine? Those are my favorites!
That’s amazing! How do they charge so little? And furthermore, why am I not there right now?