The Greek god Dionysus drifts across my vision, his stained-glass feet partly hidden by clusters of grapes. Without my contact lenses, everything takes on a soft, dreamlike blur at the edges. Reclining in a state of utter contentment, I can easily imagine him slipping around the spa’s pillared corner to join me for a glass of sparkling cava. A half-full glass sits within easy reach, beside a small bowl of grapes—no doubt placed there with the deliberate intention of keeping me comfortable.
Although the Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf is located in the northeastern Costa Brava of Catalonia, an area famed for its rugged coastline and sapphire sea, the hotel itself favors subtlety over showiness. Harmony permeates the property: vineyards slope toward the golf course, guestrooms are quietly elegant, and the spa emphasizes calm and balance. Treatments were developed to make the most of grape-based botanical ingredients, and the spa offers a bespoke line of antioxidant-rich hair and body products infused with grape extracts. Items range from Muscat Grape Body Gel and Merlot Grape Shampoo to rich face creams formulated with the powerful antioxidants found in grapes.
Every detail in the spa underscores the connection to wine. Upholstery in deep mauves, soft plums and violet hues echoes the vineyard palette. Tall windows along the pool are decorated with grape imagery, and stone urns rim the pool, tipping to release a continuous trickle of water. The atmosphere evokes a wine cellar, inviting surrender to the experience.
For the past hour and a quarter I took part in the Divinum ritual, a circuit designed for couples or small groups of up to six. My private sequence began with a tepid shower, followed by a slightly warmer rain shower. A quick blast of cold water led me to the sauna—an extraordinary chamber shaped like a gigantic wine cask. Relaxing in the penetrating heat, I found myself imagining a giant cooper fitting wooden staves into a barrel, pausing now and then to refresh himself from a large flask.
After the sauna I scooped handfuls of ice from the fountain and rubbed them over my legs and feet in preparation for the steamy hammam, one of my favorite parts of any aqua circuit. The cool-down began with a walk through a shallow stream whose bed was lined with small, grape-shaped glass spheres that provided a thorough foot massage. Ten minutes in the Jacuzzi and a brisk rinse beneath a cold waterfall completed the circuit, after which I retired to my private relaxation room and gazed up at the stained-glass Dionysus.
Spa treatments © Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf
The next morning I indulged in the Essence of the Empordà: a half-hour soak in a deep, swirling bath infused with Peralada Merlot. Having developed an affection for the local wines, I took the short drive to Castillo Peralada to learn more about the region’s winemaking traditions.
The medieval castle dates to the 14th century and sits beside the ruins of a Carmelite monastery. Viticulture in this region stretches back to the Greeks, who first introduced grape cultivation when they landed on the Gulf of Roses. Carmelite monks later recorded their winemaking practices in parchments that now reside in the castle library. Since the 1950s, the castle’s cellars have produced Cava Gran Claustro, an acclaimed sparkling wine aged in monastery cellars and often compared favorably with top French champagnes.
A visit through the castle’s halls reveals that until 1960, sparkling Spanish wines were sometimes labeled “Spanish champagne” until French producers pushed for protected use of the term “Champagne.” That dispute ushered in stricter rules around provenance and led to Spain’s Denominación de Origen (Designation of Origin). Today, cava bearing the D.O. classification must be produced using traditional champenoise methods.
The vineyards supplying the castle stretch over the hills between the towers and the hotel. Estates carry evocative names—Finca Espolla, Finca Malaveïna and the renowned Finca Garbet—where neat rows of vines cascade down slopes toward the sea.
On my final day I returned to the spa for a four-handed exfoliating massage that used wine sediments: a paste of ground grape skins, leaves and seeds. After being gently scrubbed and rinsed, I was led to a tub of golden, shimmering water enriched with silk extracts to nourish the skin. Emerging from the bath, therapists massaged a golden-hued antioxidant cream into my skin. Wrapping myself in a robe, I slipped into the lounge area for a restorative nap.
True to form, the hotel had not run out of cava while I was being tended. Sipping slowly from a glass that caught the subdued light, I found myself smiling at the thought of Dionysus and his divine duties. In the right setting—comfortable, unhurried and beautifully designed—feeling utterly divine is remarkably easy.
Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf
17491 Peralada
Girona, Spain
tel 34 972 53 88 30
hotelperalada.com