Penedes, Cataluna

Penedes - Overview:

Monasteries, castles, medieval villages and vineyards are scattered across the rolling countryside of rural inland Cataluna. 20km along the coast to the west of Barcelona is the Penedes region.

Penedes - Wine:

Penedes, the area inland from Barcelona, is considered to be the cradle of modern Spanish wine growing and is famous for 'Cava', the Spanish equivalent of Champagne, which can be sampled in the many bodegas throughout the region. Penedes produces two different types of wine, still and sparkling.

After the historic Phylloxera outbreak, the Cataluna region went over to supplying mass produced wine to meet the rising demand from abroad for cheap vatted wine. Although famed for centuries for robust red wines, the dominance of white grapes came about with the rapid development of the Cava industry.

It is not the only place in Spain where Cava is made, but it accounts for most of it. Sant Sadurni d'Anoia is the Cava capital of Spain, and about three-quarters of all Cava is produced and bottled there. Penedes also has a flourishing still wine industry.

Many of the companies are owned by the big Cava operators, but the most innovative has undoubtedly been the family-owned firm of Miguel Torres. The late Miguel Torres built up the company after World War II, and his son, Miguel Angel Torres (until his father died, usually known as Miguel Junior), was responsible for pioneering the buying of vineyards and planting of 'international' grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir.

The result is vineyards of traditional Catalan grapes (Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada for the whites, and Garnacha, Monastrell and Carinena for the reds) with a sprinkling of 'international' varieties as well.

It is possible to get good results out of this wide range of grapes because of the varied terrain of Penedes.

There are low coastal vineyards from sea-level up to 250 metres above, where sun-seeking grapes (ie Garnacha, Monastrell and Carinena) rub shoulders with tourists. There are the higher vineyards, between 250 and 500 metres, growing Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo.

And there is the Alt-Penedes (high Penedes), up to 850 metres, where the cool-climate grapes, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir are planted. Almost any wine style is possible.

Cava is made mostly from the three Catalan white grapes (Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada), but there are more and more companies experimenting with the Champagne grapes, particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Penedes - Our holiday accommodation and service:

Travel with secretdestinations.com holidays and enjoy delightful, privileged, sophisticated holiday destinations in Cataluna's beautiful Penedes region. From privately owned holiday houses, cottages, villas, and apartments to villas with pools and hotels, in beautiful coastal and rural locations, hand-picked for an authentic taste of unspoiled secret Spain.

So, if you're looking for an activity holiday walking, cycling and trekking; exploring historic castles, fascinating villages and rural towns; enjoy wine tasting and gastronomy or you just want to simply escape the tourist masses with a privately owned rural apartment, cottage or villa with a pool, call our holiday team today. We can also assist you with flights to the Penedes, ferry travel and holiday car hire.