HISTORY
The Penedès, a drive to improve and innovate without forgetting our roots
The DO Penedès is the Designation of Origin with the longest history and wine tradition in Catalonia. More than 2,500 hectares of vineyards stretch along the territory between the sea and the mountains, halfway between Barcelona and Tarragona. The soils, climate and the altitudes differentiate the DO Penedès into 10 terroirs, each marked by a unique character.
Talking about Penedès means talking about the History of wine.
The arrival of wine in the Penedès dates back to the Phoenician civilization, the first civilization to see the potential of this territory. Two millennia later, these lands are still a quality brand that many look for when choosing a good wine.
The terroirs of the DO Penedès make up a group of privileged landscapes for growing vines with unique attributes. Its history is the history of land, agriculture and life. The excavations at the Font de la Canya site in Avinyonet del Penedès unearthed an archaeological find as precious as the bust of the Goddess Demeter from the 3rd century BC, with an ornate headdress with details of ears of corn and grapes, testifying to the importance of wine in these lands since time immemorial.
Furthermore, carbonised and mineralized seeds from the 7th century BC were found at the site, underlining that the presence of vineyards in the Penedès is no coincidence, but is the mark of the history of its wines. History, however, is not the only thing that makes these lands special: the winemaking philosophy gives the DO Penedès a special touch that warrants the stamp of excellence. The quality that surrounds the DO Penedès brand is not only a consequence of its tradition and antiquity, but also because of its ability to innovate and stay up to date. With 2,700 years of history behind you, it’s easy to get lost in time and fall into an anachronistic void. Having to find the perfect balance between being present and innovative, without forgetting the heritage and where you come from, is a complicated task. But the DO Penedès has been able to unite past and present while keeping its well-kept tradition intact, a fact that has allowed it to show off a stamp of heritage, tradition and prestige with a recognition beyond its borders.
White wines are produced, where the most significant variety is Xarel·lo. It offers young, smooth, silky, fruity wines with good acidity, and more structured white wines that have been produced and/or aged in barrel, which are full-bodied, warm, long and with a mineral finish.
The most prominent indigenous variety is Xarel·lo for white wines. Whilst the quality of the red wines is largely ignored, they account for 35% of the total bottles produced under the Penedès brand.
The rosés are fragrant, with an intense and persistent aroma, adapted to current trends. The reds have body and structure due to the silky tannins enabled by the ripening of the grapes.
Clàssic Penedès quality organic sparkling wines, are balanced and well-structured, a reflection of the grapes and the second fermentation in the bottle with a minimum ageing of 18 months and 100% Penedès.
CHRONOLOGY
The Penedès is an enviable, fertile and well-connected territory where all the civilizations that have passed through it have left their mark on us. Talking about Penedès means talking about the History of wine.
Iberian period in Catalonia
2700 years ago, after a long journey across the Mediterranean, two cultures brought wine to the Penedès: the Phoenician and the Greek.
The Penedès was initially under Phoenician influence, so it is believed that they were the ones who introduced wine and viticulture to the territory.
Wine was considered to be a drink of the divinities and had a highly ritualised consumption by the elites, it was an element of social differentiation.
The archaeological evidence allows us to know some details of viticulture in the Iberian period: the characteristics of the amphoras, the containers for drinking wine, for serving it, and above all, preparing it, since it was normally diluted with water and mixed with aromatic plants, fruits, flowers or spices.
Wine began to be exported from the ports of the beaches of the Penedès, the main entry and exit of products, and was transported using amphorae placed in the holds of the ships.
The Roman period in Catalonia
ith the arrival of the Romans, wine culture took a turn, and its consumption became widespread and became an important part of the diet of the entire population, who drank wine of more or less quality according to their economic potential. Drinking wine instead of beer distinguished the Roman from the Barbarian.
Under the influence of the capital Tarraco, the wine “industry” of the Penedès became widespread.
The Roman villas (villae), equivalent to our farmhouses, were the generalised agricultural system, and in many of them we will find wine production since they had cella vinaria, that is, a wine cellar.
In some coastal towns, amphoras were also made to be able to export the wine.
The middle Ages in Catalonia
With the fall of the Roman Empire, long-distance trade networks such as the Via Augusta disappeared. Many of the Roman villas were abandoned and wine production was reduced to the needs of the local commercial network or for self consumption.
It is the Monasteries that, at this time and during much of the Middle Ages, were the primary transmitters of culture, including wine culture.
During the process of repopulation of the territory (8th-15th centuries), apart from the land under seigneurial domain (both secular and ecclesiastical), vineyards were planted. The gentlemen owned the presses.
As the Middle Ages progressed, some farmsteads began to form. Some of these have survived to this day, others have fallen into oblivion.
The modern Era in Catalonia
In Catalonia in general and the Penedès in particular, the farmsteads that began in the Middle Ages began to grow exponentially. Viticulture and winemaking were the most important agricultural operations in the economy of some of these farms.
Contemporary History of Catalonia
The first distillery in the Penedès was established in Vilafranca in 1692. A year later, another opened in Vilanova.
From the end of the 17th century until the last quarter of the 18th century, the main market was northern Europe. With the Decree of Free Trade (1778) which broke the Cadiz monopoly, direct trade with America began.
Coopers and distilleries enabled international trade of wines and brandy to America and Northern Europe, and the ports of Sitges, Vilanova and Sant Salvador developed in parallel to enable their commercialization. These ports were prominent until the second half of the 19th century, when the railway connected the large ports of Barcelona and Tarragona.
The 18th century saw the expansion of the area under vine through Rabassa Morta contracts (leases valid until a third of the vines planted had died).
Phylloxera
At the end of the 19th century, with Phylloxera, we went from crisis to opportunity.
The arrival of the railway (1865 in Vilafranca del Penedès and 1881 in Vilanova) boosted the Penedès economy.
Carrer Comerç (Commerce Street) in Vilafranca became the wine center of Catalonia with the installation of wine companies and warehouses.
Vilafranca del Penedès became the capital of wine in Catalonia, a status confirmed in 1903 with the installation of the Vilafranca del Penedès Viticulture and Enology Station.
In the 20th century, the Enology Station led a push for wine quality. The Viticulture and Enology Station of Vilafranca del Penedès was the second in all of Spain.
100% ECO 2025
The DO Penedès has always had a link with organic wines, long before it became fashionable.
Specifically, the first winery in Spain to bring wines from organic vineyards to the market more than 40 years ago is from the DO Penedès. Being pioneers in the cultivation of organic vines and in the production of organic wines, places us in an advantageous position regarding the knowledge and philosophy of wineries in this field.
“More than 60% of DO Penedès wines are organic. ”
Today, more than 60% of DO Penedès wines are organic. This dynamic and commitment to the land has led us to set the goal that from the 2025 harvest, all the wines released as DO Penedès must be organic.
For a vineyard to be organic, it must be farmed in an integrated way with the environment that surrounds it, without the use of chemical fertilisers, synthetic chemical pesticides, or herbicides. The organic vineyard treatments are basically sulphur and copper for powdery mildew and mildew respectively, and pheromones for the tortrix moth..
“From the 2025 harvest, all the wines released as DO Penedès must be organic.”
In addition to working in the vineyard organically, we also have winegrowers who follow biodynamic practices, where in addition to working organically, they look for all those elements linked to the environment: plants, animals and humans, always taking into account the forces and energies of nature.
Another factor to consider is the sustainability of the surroundings, the environment and the earth at a global level. Following this line, winegrowers in our territory are starting to work their vineyards according to regenerative agriculture, a concept which consists of leaving a layer of grass under the vines, with the aim of capturing CO2 and not releasing it. At the same time, the soils are positively regenerated after many years of continuous ploughing.
Other sustainable practices that are increasingly common among wineries are the installation of solar panels and the recovery of cuttings, once the pruning of the vines is finished, to make compost and integrate it into the soil, thus capturing CO2.
ZONES
ZONING
Climatic conditions: the area is colder, with an average annual temperature of 11-14°C. Precipitation is 600-650 mm/year. According to the Winkler-Amerine index most of the area is within Region III, except for the higher areas that would be in Region II and exceptionally Region I.
This zone is located on relatively uncompacted materials from the Triassic. Erosion has formed the current landscape and and these soils are the source of alluvial material found at lower elevations.
The soils occupied by vineyards in this unit are generally shallow, on moderate and steeper slopes with very little edaphic development and with loams and shales as the underlying material.
On the lower parts of the slopes, which are less steep, we find deep or very deep soils with variable gravels, and with incipient edaphic development that has given rise to the accumulation of secondary carbonates, in the form of nodules or pseudomycelia.
Climatic conditions: the area has an average annual temperature of 15-16°C. Precipitation increases from southeast to northeast, from 500-550 mm/year in the areas closest to Tarragona and the most inland areas, to 600 mm/year at the foot of the Gaià Massif. According to the Winkler-Amerine index, the area is within Region IV.
The current landscape of this unit has been formed by topographic inversion. A few thousand years ago this was an area of accumulation of sediments contributed by streams from the Bonastre block and the Gaià Massif. The area would have looked like an extensive plain where sediments accumulated.
Much of today’s soils have developed directly from these sediments. Petrocalcic horizons were formed, hardened by calcium carbonate accumulation. Slotted into the local drainage network, these areas have ended up elevated, producing the landscape of gentle relief and hills that we know today.
The soils found in this area are derived from the sediments originating from the Massif, which were transported by the streams that crossed the plain.
The soils that developed from this sediment present differing degrees of stoniness and calcium carbonate accumulation, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions (occupying the space of old plant roots) or general accumulation. These accumulations are more abundant and form a cement on the highest parts of the landscape, generating the relief of hills and plateaus.
On the slopes where the gradient is steeper, the erosive processes have been more intense and the soils we find are much younger, less evolved and developed directly from the limestone and shale.
Climatic conditions: the area has an average annual temperature of 14-16°C. Precipitation is 600-650 mm/year. According to the Winkler-Amerine index most of the zone is within Region IV, except for the higher zones that are within Region III.
This unit groups areas from the east of the Gaià massif, with Cambrian–Ordovician and Ordovician slates and Permo-Carboniferous granites. Both materials are hard and confer a great resistance to the relief of this part of the unit. Below this relief we find the foothills of the Penedès depression, formed by the coalescence of the alluvial fans at the foot of the mountains of the Gaià massif. The materials are formed by Quaternary sediment, mainly slates and granites from this eastern area of the Gaià massif.
In the lower part of the unit we find the rolling hills, a physiographic unit made up of hills left by the erosion of sedimentary material from the coalescence of the distal alluvial fans, coming from the current mountainous ridges. In this case the materials are made up of polygenic Quaternary sediments (slate and limestone) superimposed in some points on the Tertiary period. The whole unit is crossed by networks of ravines that have broken through due to the little resistance that these unconsolidated sediments present.
The soils in the area vary from west to east, as we move away from the Gaià massif.
In the area of the massif, where the agricultural surface area is small, and in the immediate foothills, there are soils with an abundance of gravel, of metamorphic nature (slate) and of alluvial-colluvial origin. We find very developed soils, with accumulations of carbonates and an abundance of larger elements. At the foot of the hills they occupy the flat areas (residual plateaus) that remain between the ravines.
In the most distal area of the massif, in the area of sharpest relief, the soils are more varied, in particular we find poorly developed, shallow soils, which have formed on the loams where erosion has been most intense. More developed soils are present in the uneroded areas of the fans, most of which have developed directly from these sediments. Petrocalcic horizons were formed, hardened by calcium carbonate accumulation. Due to the action of the drainage network, these areas have ended up elevated, giving rise to the landscape of rolling hills that we know today.
The soils found in this area have as their original material the sediments originating from the Massif that were transported by the streams that cross the plain.
The soils developed on this sediment have differing degrees of stoniness and calcium carbonate accumulation, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions (occupying the space of old plant roots) or general accumulations.
These accumulations are more abundant and form a cement on the highest parts of the landscape, generating the relief of hills and plateaus.
Climatic conditions: the area has an average annual temperature of 14-15°C. Precipitation increases from south to north, from 550-600 mm/year in the areas closest to the Garraf massif to 650 mm/year in the inland areas, at the foot of the Gaià massif. According to the Winkler-Amerine index, most of the area is within Region IV, except for the higher areas that are in Region III.
This zone consists mainly of undulating reliefs resulting from the erosion of sedimentary material from the coalescence of the alluvial fans at the foot of the current mountains that date from the Miocene. The soils are made up of Quaternary materials superimposed in some points on those of the Tertiary period. These Tertiary materials are basically sandstone and marl. The whole unit is crossed by networks of ravines that have cut through the area due to the little resistance offered by unconsolidated sediments.
As both the Quaternary and Tertiary deposits are soft and unconsolidated materials, erosion has been important. Most of the soils present in the area are relatively young and with little edaphic development, formed directly on the loams. Generally they are shallow soils, as they are still affected by erosive processes.
In the most stable areas of the relief, the deposits of the Quaternary have persisted, forming soils with more edaphic development, where petrocalcic horizons were formed, hardened by calcium carbonate accumulation. Slotted into the local drainage network, these areas have ended up elevated, producing the landscape of gentle relief and hills that we know today.
The soils found in this area have as their original material the sediment originating from the Massif, transported by the streams that cross the plain.
The soils developed from this sediment present differing degrees of stoniness and calcium carbonate accumulation, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions (occupying the space of old plant roots) or general accumulation.
These accumulations are more abundant and form a cement on the higher parts of the landscape, generating the present relief of hills and plateaus.
Climatic conditions: It is a very varied zone climatically. The zone has an annual average temperature of 13-16°C. Precipitation increases from south to north, from 500-550 mm/year in the areas closest to the sea to 650 mm/year in the most inland areas, at the foot of the Gaià Massif. According to the Winkler-Amerine index most of the area is within Region IV, except for the higher areas that would be within Region III and exceptionally in Region II.
Although this zone is extensive, it occupies considerable mountainous regions with abrupt relief. Vine cultivation is concentrated in the foothills of the mountains.
This unit is formed by the coalescence of different alluvial fans, with materials coming from the Bonastre block and the Gaià Massif.
The materials of the alluvial fans have developed relatively old soils that display accumulations of carbonate, in the form of nodules and rhizo concretions and even the formation of petrocalcic horizons.
The slopes and hillsides are marked by evolved soils based on marl or limestone. The soils are shallow or moderately deep and relatively young, due to continuous erosion.
In the low lying areas we find very deep soils, with a lot of variability in the content of larger elements as well as secondary accumulations of calcium carbonate.
Climatic conditions: the area has a clear maritime influence, with an average annual temperature of 16-17°C. Precipitation is 500-550 mm/year. According to the Winkler-Amerine index most of the area is within Region IV, except for the areas closest to the coast that are in Region V.
This unit is formed by the coalescence of the alluvial fans at the foot of the Garraf Massif. The materials that make up the unit are Quaternary sediments, predominantly limestone gravel from the Bonastre block and the Garraf Massif. In the materials of the alluvial fans relatively old soils have developed that present accumulations of carbonates, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions and even the formation of petrocalcic horizons.
Grapes are grown primarily on gentle slopes (<20% slope). Soils vary from shallow (those in which a petrocalcic horizon has developed) to moderately deep and deep soils, which are those with secondary carbonate accumulations but which have not formed a cemented horizon.
Climatic conditions: the area has an average annual temperature of 14-15°C. Precipitation increases from south to north, from 550-600 mm/year in the areas closest to the Garraf massif to 650 mm/year in the areas at the foot of the Gaià massif. According to the Winkler-Amerine index most of the area is within Region IV, except for the higher areas that are in Region III.
This unit consists mainly of Cretaceous materials, namely limestone, marl and dolomites. These materials are very rich in carbonates, which lead to soils with a high carbonate content.
The agricultural areas of this zone are concentrated on terraced slopes and in small hollows and foothills with accumulation of colluvial material.
In the steepest areas there are shallow and underdeveloped soils formed on marl or limestone.
In the lower parts of the slopes with less gradient and the valley floors we find soils formed by accumulations of materials eroded from the upper parts of the slopes. They are deep or very deep soils, except for those in which a petrocalcic horizon has developed. In general they are soils with a certain edaphic development, showing accumulations of secondary carbonates, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions and even petrocalcic horizons.
This unit consists mainly of Cretaceous materials, specifically limestone, marl and dolomites. These materials are very rich in carbonates, which lead to soils with a high carbonate content.
The agricultural areas of this zone are concentrated at the foot of the mountain massif, where it meets the hills of Vilafranca, in foothills with an accumulation of colluvial material.
In the areas with the steepest slopes we find shallow and underdeveloped soils formed on marl or limestone.
On the gentler slopes of lower parts of the hillsides and the valley floors we find soils formed by accumulations of materials eroded from the upper parts of the slopes. They are deep or very deep soils, except for those in which a petrocalcic horizon has developed. In general they are soils with a certain edaphic development, displaying accumulations of secondary carbonates, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions and even petrocalcic horizons.
Climatic conditions: the area has an average annual temperature of 14-15°C. Precipitation increases from south to north, from 550-600 mm/year in the areas closest to the Garraf massif to 650 mm/year in the inland areas at the foot of the Gaià massif. According to the Winkler-Amerine index, most of the area is within Region IV, except for the higher areas that would be within Region III.
The current landscape of this unit has been formed by topographic inversion. A few thousand years ago this was an area of sedimentary deposits from the streams from the Bonastre block and the Gaia Massif. The area would have looked like an extensive plain where sediments accumulated.
Much of today’s soils have developed directly from these sediments. Petrocalcic horizons were formed hardened by calcium carbonate accumulation. Through the action of the drainage network these areas ended up elevated, leading to the landscape of gentle relief and hills that we know today.
The soils found in this area have as their original material the sediments originating from the Massif which were transported by the streams that crossed the plain.
The soils developed on these sediments present different degrees of stoniness and calcium carbonate accumulation, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions (occupying the space of old plant roots) or general accumulation.
These deposits are more abundant and form a cement on the high parts of the landscape, generating the relief of hills and plateaus.
On the slopes where the gradient is steeper, the erosive processes have been more intense and the soils we find are much younger, less evolved and developed directly on the limestone and shale.
This unit is formed mainly by terraces of different levels generated by the effects of these two rivers and some of their tributaries.
In the unit we find fluventic soils, developed on the terraces that form the sediments deposited by the rivers. These are relatively young and display incipient edaphic development, they are deep and have a varied granulometry, of medium or moderately large textures (with the presence of sandy material).
On the slope associated with the relief formed by the watercourses we find two different cases. In areas with steeper slopes, where erosion is more important, we find soils developed on the underlying loam that are shallow or relatively shallow with little edaphic development.
Less abundant, but also important, are the soils formed on the hillsides with gentler slopes. They are deep or very deep soils, except for those where a petrocalcic horizon has been developed. In general they are soils with a certain edaphic development, displaying accumulations of secondary carbonates, in the form of nodules, rhizo concretions and even petrocalcic horizons.
The land and climate
The land and the vineyards know neither geographical nor political divisions. The Penedès region is wide and open, covering a long strip of land between the sea and the mountains, half-way between Barcelona and Tarragona.
Zones
In the heart of the inland Catalan depression, between the inland mountains and the small plains of the mediterranean coast, you’ll find the Penedès vineyards. The DO is made up of three distinct zones: The Penedès Superior (near the inland mountain range), The Penedès Marítim (between the sea and the coastal hills) and the plain between these areas, known as the Penedès Central.
Microclimates
The Penedès enjoys a wide variety of micro-climates, marked by the different altitudes and the proximity of the sea. The climate is typically Mediterranean, mild and warm. The Penedès Marítim (Baix Penedès and Garraf counties) is milder due to the proximity of the sea. The Penedès Superior (Alt Penedès, Alt Camp, Anoia and Baix Llobregat counties) has higher rainfall and larger contrasts between maximum and minimum temperatures. The Penedès Central (made up mostly of the Alt Penedès county) is a mixture of the two microclimates.
Singularity
The diversity of the DO Penedès’ wines is based on the singularity of the region. A thousand tastes, aromas, bodies and structures… are the result of these differences in climate, territory and the variety of the soils that make up the region, marked by the green of the hills and valleys or the blue of the Mediterranean.
varieties
White grape varieties
Most Penedès whites are drunk young, in the year after bottling, when their sensory properties are at their peak.
Producers also make whites fermented or aged in barrels, discovering other extraordinary sensations, wines that can age well over two to five years.
When pairing with food, these whites match fish and seafood prepared without sauces; oysters, eggs and cold dishes and fresh or lightly cured cheeses.
Xarel·lo
Chardonnay
Malvasia de Sitges
Parellada
Riesling
Macabeu
Moscatell d'Alexandria
Sauvignon Blanc
Red grape varieties
The red wines of the Penedès improve with the passage of time if kept in the appropriate conditions (protected from light, smells and vibrations and at a constant temperature not above 15°C).
Depending on the vintage and the grape variety, they should evolve well for 4-5 years. At the table, a reserva, or simply just a good Penedès red is best matched to red meats and roasts. For more aromatic reds, white meats and blue cheeses make an ideal pairing.
Garnatxa
Syrah
Monastrell
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
Samsó
Ull de Llebre
Clàssic Penedès
Quality sparkling wines have been part of the DO Penedès since its beginnings, although always in much smaller quantities than still wines. However, since 2013 a number of new producers have joined the DO increasing the weight of these wines inside the DO Penedès.
In 2014 these wines are given the brand name of Clàssic Penedès, and a new line of regulations is drawn up to better define the product.
Clàssic Penedès follows the traditional and ancestral method for elaborating quality sparkling wines used around the world. It stands out in three principal areas:
100% Organic
With this requirement, the DO Penedès became the first 100% organic sparkling wine appellation in the world.
Clàssic Penedès sparkling wines carry the guarantee of an agriculture that respects its environment, using traditional farming methods and 100% organic treatments, making the DO Penedès the appellation that heads both quantitatively and qualitatively the ranking of organic production in Catalonia and the whole of Spain.
100% Penedès
One of the key strengths of Clàssic Penedès is the territorial guarantee that comes with being part of the DO Penedès.
It is a product with a clear identity, whose production is limited strictly to the DO Penedès, promoting above all the ancestral and indigenous varieties of this area.
100% Reserva
Strictly following the traditional and ancestral methods, with the objective of consolidating Clàssic Penedès among the best sparkling wines in the world, our producers must hold Clàssic Penedès wines for at least 15 months in the cellar.
This effectively makes all Clàssic Penedès wines Reservas.