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WINES OF SPAIN
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Catalonia
| Kat-Ah-Lone-Ee-Yah |
DO Catalonia/Cataluña
(or Catalunya in Catalán language) located in the northeastern corner
of Spain comprises four provinces: The capitol Barcelona, Tarragona, Lérida and Gerona.
This DO was established in 1999 and allows the greatest flexibility to winemakers hoping to
blending commercial wines from throughout this corner of Spain. You might think of it as a
smaller version of that giant Australian GI, Southeastern Australia. While most wineries seem
to seek the more delineated names of Empordà, Montsant, and the others within the larger
Catalonia area, names such as Clos d’Agon and Vins del Massis are helping to bring greater
recognition to DO Catalonia (or Catalunya, in Catalan). Expect to see more wines with this DO
designation in the next few years.
DO Cava
| Kah-Vah /
— Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, home to 95 percent of Spain’s Cava production, is
located in the heart of Catalonia. Cava is a sparkling wine made in the Méthode Champenoise,
meaning it undergoes a secondary fermentation in-bottle prompted by the addition of yeast
and sugar. It is most often composed of Parellada, Macabeo (Viura), and Xarel-lo grapes, also
known as “the big three.”
DO Penedés
|Pen-Eh-Dess|
— Spanning from the Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees,
this region is located midway between Barcelona and Tarrgona boasting a warm and mild
Mediterranean climate with ample sunshine. The region produces wonderful still wines
from both traditional and international grape varieties that are making a big splash in this
predominately Cava-focused appellation.
DOCa Priorato
| Pree-Or-Ah-Toe |
— Located in eastern Spain, this region was named for the
monks and priory who brought winemaking to the area; higher in elevation, they believed
it would bring them closer to holiness. Priorat wine is typically comprised of Garnacha and
Cariñena, two varieties that are well suited to the unique
terroir
; the soils of this DOCa, rich in
slate and quartz (locally referred to as llicorella), encourage extremely low yields.
DO Montsant
— With vineyards surrounding the neighboring Priorat, Monsant shares the same
grapes (Garnacha, Cariñena) and similar styles as the DOca. Once known as the Baix Priorat,
Montsant’s nearly 4,500 acres of vineyards lie mostly around 1,200 feet, lower than much of
Priorat by nearly 2,000 feet. Soils are mostly sandy limestone, chalk, and clay, but granite and
slate lie beneath these soils, and the landscape and climate match Priorat’s extreme character.