Monográfico CAVA&JAMÓN 100% IBÉRICO: Sant Sadurní Cava and Ham Masterclass

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia sits in the heart of Catalunya’s cava country, and the Monográfico CAVA&JAMÓN 100% IBÉRICO condenses that regional craft into a focused three‑hour masterclass. Hosted in atmospheric underground cavas—described in the program as the ‘minas’—the event pairs brut nature gran reserva poured at cellar temperature with jamón de bellota 100% ibérico precinto negro, each leg sourced from pigs finished on acorns during montanera and cured by traditional methods.

The afternoon or evening begins with a brief descent into the cava, where the cool, close air and stone corridors set the stage for tasting. Your guide introduces the brut nature gran reserva, degollado à la volée for immediate aromatics, then hands the floor to Francesc Riera. Francesc, a master jamonero with over twenty years’ experience and owner of L’ÀNIMA IBÈRICS in Manresa, demonstrates freehand carving while explaining anatomy, fat distribution and the nuances that define a 100% ibérico labeled product. Watching the knife move through aged tissue is an education in texture: silky fat, firm meat, and the whisper of oak and acorn in every slice.

Hosts circulate tasting plates so the group of no more than twenty-six can compare how two selected cavas lift different notes from the meat—bright acidity cutting fat here, toasty lees bringing out cured-sweet tones there. The format mixes technical detail with convivial tasting, and the experience concludes with a small personal gift from Francesc and a practical 10% discount on cava, wine or ibéricos for guests who want to take the learning home.

This offering stands out because it stitches local producers, craft aging spaces and a recognized artisan into a single, accessible program. It’s bilingual (Catalan and Spanish) and designed to welcome visitors with reduced mobility without losing the authentic feel of a working cellar. For travelers who love food and place, the combination of subterranean cava galleries—an element of the local built landscape—and top-tier ibérico creates a compact cultural primer on why Sant Sadurní d'Anoia matters to Spanish gastronomy.

Practical notes: the session runs about three hours, is limited to adults 18 and over, and rewards curiosity—ask about curing times, acorn seasonality, and which parts of the ham produce which textures. Book this if you want direct access to a skilled cutter, a behind‑the‑scenes cellar moment, and an efficient, memorable immersion in Catalonia’s twin passions of cava and jamón. Expect to leave with sharper tasting vocabulary and practical buying tips — Francesc often points out labels and cuts that translate to value — and with a new appreciation for seasonality and craft. Travelers can combine this monográfico with cellar visits around town, walking vineyards, or a meal in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia to turn a single tasting into a full culinary day. Plan ahead.