D.O. Emporda

Wine tourism in D.O. Empordà

The Empordà, in the far north-east of Catalonia, presents a landscape of contrasts, with the natural boundaries of the Pyrenees to the north and the Mediterranean Sea, with the spectacular Costa Brava to the east, which makes the Empordà a unique place, an extraordinary territory between sea and mountain, marked by the presence of the north wind, the tramontana.

A unique area for unique wines

In addition to being a land of great scenic beauty, with several protected natural spaces and a spectacular coastline of beaches and coves, the Empordà also possesses a great historical and cultural heritage: menhirs and megalithic monuments, Gothic architecture, Romanesque art, charming little villages, the surrealist art of the genius Salvador Dalí… A whole set of attractions to which must be added its people and the fine gastronomy, with the distinctive Empordà cuisine and the new restaurant scene, represented by figures such as Ferran Adrià, the ideal complement to the wines of the DO (designation of origin) Empordà.

The land and the climate

The DO Empordà is located in the far north-east of Catalonia and encompasses a total of 48 municipalities distributed across two districts: 35 in the Alt Empordà and 13 in the Baix Empordà.The production area of the Alt Empordà borders the Pyrenees to the north, the Mediterranean to the east and the plain to the south, and is sheltered on the slopes of the Rodes and Albera ranges, in an arc running from Cap de Creus to the so-called Garrotxa d'Empordà (Albanyà).On the other hand, the production area of the Baix Empordà is bounded to the north by the Montgrí massif, to the south-west by the Les Gavarres massif, which forms a coastal plain with the Begur massif, and to the east by the Mediterranean.

Zones

In the north, brown soils with a calcareous content predominate, while the rest of the vineyard sits preferentially on southern brown lands. These are loose terrains, with good drainage, and poor in organic matter.

Microclimates

It is one of the wine-growing areas subject to a regime of climatic instability, with a great influence of the Mediterranean climate, and which has the most violent wind (the Tramontana), but which in any case benefits the vineyard by keeping it free of parasites, so it is not unusual to see many vines tied between posts and wires.

It is worth noting, regarding temperature and sunshine, that this whole Empordà area is located in region III of the Winkler and Amerine classification, which makes it ideal for growing medium- and long-cycle varieties, and extraordinary for making naturally sweet wines.

The current vineyards of the Designation of Origin are mostly of old planting, with vineyards over 30 years of age.As for the red varieties, Carignan or Samsó dominates, forming the basis of Empordà viticulture together with red Grenache (called Lledoner in the area). These traditional varieties are complemented by new varieties that are gradually being introduced, mainly Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.The dominant white vinifera varieties are white and red Grenache, and Macabeo, and in much smaller proportion we find Muscat, the traditional Xarel·lo and, of new planting, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer.WhitesRecommended varieties: white Grenache, red Grenache, Macabeo or Viura, Muscat of AlexandriaAuthorised varieties: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Malvasía, small-berry Muscat, white Picapoll, Sauvignon Blanc, Xarel·loRedsRecommended varieties: Carignan, red GrenacheAuthorised varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Monastrell, Tempranillo, Syrah, hairy Grenache

The wine varieties of the empordà

All types of wine are made, from white wines in all their styles, through rosés and reds, to sweet and sparkling wines with DO Cava in some municipalities.In general, the red wines are of good quality, full-bodied, well constituted and harmonious, sometimes nuanced by careful ageing, while the white wines are fresh and flavourful, frequently made with native varieties, but also with other single-variety wines of notable quality. Rosés are also made, characterised by a well-defined cherry colour, great personality and a delicate aroma, fresh and of moderate alcoholic strength.A singularity of the area is the Garnatxa de l'Empordà, a naturally sweet wine with the characteristic flavour of ripe grapes, warm and silky, virtues that make it an exceptional dessert wine, together with the Moscatell de l'Empordà, the other sweet wine typical of the area.

Experiences to enjoy in D.O. Empordà

Discover this wine-growing region located in the far north-east of Catalonia.