Penedès

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tempranillo vineyard

Penedès (Spanish: Panadés ) is the most important wine region in Catalonia , it was created in the late 1960s.

location

It is located in the historical region of Penedès. It benefits from its proximity to the port city of Barcelona . The DO with 27,500 hectares of vineyards is divided up from the coast into the three zones Baix Penedès (lowlands up to 250 m above sea level), Mitja Penedès (up to 500 m) and Alt Penedès (up to 850 m). The soils vary in nature: they are sandy at sea level, while more chalky limestone can be found in the mountains. Alluvial land can also be found scattered in the river valleys. Drainage is good everywhere. In general, the climate is warm and quite humid, with high temperatures in summer and very cold conditions in winter. The average rainfall is - depending on the zone - between 500 and 900 mm per year. The Mediterranean influence ensures an average duration of sunshine of 2,500 hours / year.

wine growing

After the phylloxera disaster at the end of the 19th century, mass wines were initially produced. From 1960 the area continued to develop. At that time, the mayor of Barcelona decided that the region should meet the city's need for inexpensive red wine. This led to some winemakers researching the new location and experimenting with higher quality and elegant red wines. However, a large part of the wines is processed into white wine and cava . In 2002 around 240,000 hectoliters of white wine were produced, around a quarter of which was exported.

Well over a hundred grape varieties are cultivated, to a considerable extent also native. 15 of them are approved for DO wines. A little over 60% are white grape varieties. The most important are the white Parellada (6,000 hectares), Macabeu (6,600 ha), Xarel·lo (7,800 ha), Muscat of Alexandria (for sweet, fortified wines), Chardonnay (about 1,000 hectares), Chenin Blanc , Sauvignon Blanc , Gewürztraminer and Riesling as well as the red Garnatxa , Monestrell , Cariñena , Tempranillo (here Ull de Llebre ), Cabernet Sauvignon , Pinot Noir and Merlot . Well-known and large wineries and cellars are Albet i Noya , Codorníu Freixenet and Torres .

Characteristics of the wines

  • White (in Catalan blanc , in Spanish blanco ): alcohol content 11.5–12.5% ​​- the typical regional macabeo, xarel·lo or parellada are fruity and light. Pleasant on the palate, but should be drunk within a year.
  • Rosé (in Catalan rosat , in Spanish rosado ): alcohol content 12–13% - color: rose to raspberry color. Aromatic, fresh on the nose. Pleasant on the palate, easy to drink.
  • Red (in Catalan Negre , in Spanish Tinto ): alcohol content 12–13% - Color: Dense, strong cherry to garnet red. Nose: quite fruity aromas, combined with fine wood tones, occasionally lacking in body. Palate: Mostly concentrated and full-bodied.

Attractions

In the Vilafranca del Penedès Wine Museum , traces of viticulture can be found in this region up to the 4th century BC. To be traced back. Many wealthy Romans owned their own wineries in the Penedès and Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) already appreciated the excellent wines.

See also

Web links

literature

  • John Radford: The New Spain. A complete guide to contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London 1998, ISBN 1-85732-254-1 .
  • Jan Read: Spain's Wines 2005/06. 7th, revised, updated edition. Hallwag im Gräfe und Unzer Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7742-6962-9 .
  • Jeremy Watson: The new & classical Wines of Spain. Montagud Editores, Barcelona 2002, ISBN 84-7212-087-2 .

Coordinates: 41 ° 17 ′ 35.8 "  N , 1 ° 44 ′ 58.5"  E