The small DO on Barcelona’s doorstep — vines, cellar, and five wines with the winemaker.

Alella is twenty minutes north of the city and the smallest denominació in Catalonia: sandy granite soil, steep plots, and growers who mostly sell to people who drive up for it. We take the minibus from Plaça de Catalunya, walk the vines with the person who farms them, go down into the cellar, and taste five wines with bread, tomato and cheese. Back in Barcelona by mid-afternoon. Four hours, some uneven ground, shade in short supply — bring a hat.