Maria Rosa Ferré
Steeped in history and able to claim one of the Mediterranean’s longest uninterrupted winemaking traditions, Penedès has remained at the forefront of viticultural innovation and sustainability. Situated halfway between Barcelona and Tarragona, this DO boasts more than 4,500ha of vineyards in Catalonia. The fact that it was one of the region’s producers that first released an organic-certified wine to market was certainly not a coincidence. Rather, It was the natural outcome of a forward-thinking, engaged community that has long placed its unique terroirs and viticultural heritage at the heart of the appellation’s strategic development.
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20 DO Penedès wines to try
Four decades after those first organic wines were bottled, DO Penedès once again positions itself as a pioneer: starting with the 2025 vintage all wines bearing the DO’s stamp will be certified organic. This reaffirms a holistic commitment to sustainability, aimed at preserving the landscape and ecosystems that give the wines of Penedès their identity and recognised quality. These concerns have become particularly relevant against the backdrop of climate change: the preservation of Penedès’ landscape, ecosystems and biodiversity – including the genetic diversity of local vines – has become essential in the face of future challenges.
Photograph supplied by DO Penedès
Regional diversity
It’s impossible to understand the wines and identity of DO Penedès without delving into specificities of each of its sub-zones and the diversity of its mesoclimates and terroirs. With altitudes ranging from 0 to 600 metres above sea level, Penedès slopes gently but decisively from the Mediterranean shore to the Ordal Mountains and the hills of Ancosa and Anoia. A complex combination of soils – from dense loams to alluvial fans by way of the distinct marls and limestones of the Garraf Massif – adds geological nuance to the topographic variety. Across all soil profiles, high percentages of active carbonates explain the fleshy minerality that makes the wines of Penedès so unique and robustly elegant, even if remarkably different and expressive of the appellation’s subzones.
At the threshold between Mediterranean and continental influences, Penedès is a fascinating mosaic of terroirs woven together by mountainous winds and maritime breezes in a beautiful dance across valleys and plateaus. Vineyards are nestled in large stretches of Mediterranean woods, the wines uncannily evoking the wild herbs, pines and scrub that line the plots.
Mindful viticulture, alongside ongoing research and development, have allowed Penedès producers to leverage and preserve these natural assets which are key to the region’s identity – at once allowing and requiring a sustainability-led mindset.
DO Penedès: Key facts to know
Location: halfway between Barcelona and Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Area under vine: 4,500 hectares
Climate: Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot dry summers. Some mild continental influences inland and at altitude.
Styles produced: still white, rosé and red; sparkling white and rosé (Classic Penedès)
Indigenous grape varieties:
White: Macabeu, Xarel·lo, Parellada, Malvasia de Sitges, Moscatel Gros Gra, Subirat Parent, Garnacha Blanca, Sumoi Blanc, Xarel·lo Vermell and Forcada.
Red: Ull de llebre (Tempranillo), Garnacha Negra, Samsó (Carinyena), Monastrell, Sumoi Negre and Moneu.
10 zones: Alts d’Ancosa/Ancosa Highlands, Conca de Foix/Foix Basin, Costers de l’Anoia/Anoia Hillsides, Costers del Lavernó/ Lavernó Hillsides, Costers del Montmell/ Montmell Hillsides, Marina del Garraf/Garraf Coast, Massís del Garraf/Garraf Massif, Montanyes d’Ordal/Ordal Mountains, Turons de Vilafranca/ Hills of Vilafranca, Vall Bitlles-Anoia/Bitlles-Anoia Valley
Indigenous wealth
If landscape, soils and topography are the textured canvas on which the personality of Penedès is drawn,…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/sponsored/do-penedes-looking-at-the-past-to-build-the-future-542187/
