Penedès located less than 30 minutes from Barcelona, heading south, 15 minutes from the magnificent beaches of Sitges, in a unique rural landscape setting, characterised by its endless vineyards, dotted with rural tourism accommodation, unique heritage elements and the many wineries and cava houses that have given this area international recognition.
A unique area for unique wines and cavas
In this area of Catalonia, wines and cavas of exceptional quality are made, recognised throughout the world. The wines of Penedès are made with traditional grape varieties, but also with others introduced in recent years. Most of them are young, of great aromatic quality. The whites are usually very fruity and fresh. The reds are full-bodied, aromatic and of intense colour.
Cava, a natural sparkling wine with an unmistakable flavour. It is the wine of the toast and of celebrations, the wine of the solemn moments of our lives. But it is also the wine of intimacy, the one enjoyed in the mid-afternoon, when everything begins, and at the end of the day, when everything is possible. For all these reasons, cava moments are always magical.
The land and the climate
The land of the DO Penedès is wide and open and stretches along a great swathe of territory between sea and mountain, halfway between Barcelona and Tarragona. Within this natural setting, our wines come from the best selected vines of the area.
Zones
In the heart of the Catalan Pre-coastal Depression, between the Pre-coastal Range and the small plains of the Mediterranean coast, the vines of Penedès ripen. Three distinct areas make up the DO: the Upper Penedès (near the Pre-coastal Range), the Maritime Penedès (by the sea and in the Coastal Range) and the Central Penedès (between one area and the other).
Microclimates
The Penedès Designation of Origin has a great diversity of microclimates, a consequence of its coastal proximity and its altitude. The climate is typically Mediterranean, that is, mild and warm. The Maritime Penedès area (Baix Penedès and Garraf) is more temperate due to the influence and proximity of the sea. The Upper Penedès (Alt Penedès, Alt Camp, Anoia and Baix Llobregat) enjoys more frequent rainfall and greater contrast between maximum and minimum temperatures. The Central Penedès (mainly Alt Penedès) is the combination of both microclimates.
The DO Penedès, widely recognised for the quality of its white wines, combines an offering of wines made with the traditional varieties (xarel·lo, macabeu and parellada) with others that over the years have been successfully introduced and acclimatised (chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc…). And with the xarel·lo wines as the DO's flagship, the wines of Penedès are all aroma, flavour and quality.
The result of experimentation, constant innovation and the recovery of local varieties that had disappeared, along with attention to the new trends of the palates, the DO Penedès offers a wide and exquisite range of quality red wines. A true luxury for the senses…
The red wines of Penedès improve over time if they are kept in the appropriate conditions (protection from light, odours and vibrations, uniform temperature not exceeding 15 °C).
Depending on the vintage and the type of grape, they can evolve over 4 to 5 years. At the table, to accompany a red reserva or simply a good DO Penedès red wine, red meats and roasts are recommended. For aromatic red wines, white meat and blue cheeses are most suitable and appealing.
THE XAREL·LO
Xarel·lo is the most cultivated grape variety in the DO Penedès and enjoys excellent adaptation to the soils and climates of the area. It is a rustic plant, with early budding and regular growth. Resistant to drought and heat, it has a very balanced and qualitative production year after year, which is accentuated in old vines.
The young wines are smooth, with a silky yet full-bodied character, good acidity, fruity, aromatic and with excellent alcoholic strength.
The xarel·lo wines intended for ageing are consistent, warm, long, with a mineral finish and a markedly varietal expression, through skin maceration, fermentation in barrels or concrete eggs, ageing on the lees, etc.
Experiences to enjoy in D.O. Penedès
Discover this wine-growing region just 30 minutes from Barcelona and Tarragona
