While Rioja has enjoyed the reputation of being the best known and best producing appellation in Spain, DO Penedes has been long considered a rival appellation when it comes to wine production. It’s been best known for its cava production; white wines are the dominant variety, with DO Penedes promoting the Xarel·lo brand with its 7000 planted hectares.
Phoenicians had a strong presence here in the 6th Century, but unlike other regions of Catalunya, winemaking continued after the Moors began their occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Many of the early artifacts proving the long history of wine in the region are on display at the Vinseum in the Penedes town of Vilafranca. The collection includes 17.000 items, and includes amphoras, oinochoes, askois and arybalos.
With the expansion of Spain to South America in the 18th century, Penedes wines enjoyed a huge demand on the continent, and it is a demand that continues to this day. The outbreak of the phylloxera plague was a blow to the region, but the creativity of vintners in the region resulted in a new product. The phylloxera plague can be credited with the creation of the Cava industry during the 1870s, as the region looked for ways to continue some sort of production during the ravaging epidemic which took out red varieties.
Penedes has a varied climate and varied geology, which allows for a vast range of grape varietals to thrive. Experimentation with Frnech and German strains of grapes combined with high altitude vineyards (some of the highest in Europe) has created blends unique to the region. Most notable in this pursuit has been the famous Bodegas Torres, which produces not only great cava, but also white and red varieties.
The types of grapes grown in the region are as follows:
White wines
- Chardonnay, Xarel lo, Malvasia de Sitges, Parellada, Riesling, Macabeu, Moscatell d’Alexandria, Sauvignon Blanc
Red Wines
- Garnatxa, Syrah, Monastrell, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Samso, Ull de llebre
The following vineyards are in DO Penedes. Vineyards highlighted in blue are hotlinked to their website
- 1 + 1 = 3
- Agricola Casa Sala (Freixenet)
- Agrupacio Viticultors Artesanals
- Agusti Torello i Mata
- Albet i Noya
- Alemany i Corrio
- Alsina & Sarda
- Antoni Vilamajo Saumell
- Archs Cellers
- Berral i Miro
- Blancher
- Bodega J. Miquel Jane
- Bodegas Ca n’Estella
- Bodegas Capita Vidal
- Bodegas Mur Barcelona
- Bolet
- Cal Raspallet Viticultors
- Can Bas Domini Vinicola
- Can Bonastre
- Can Descregut
- Can Feixes
- Can Quetu
- Can Rafols dels Caus
- Can Suriol del Castell de Grabuac
- Canals & Domingo
- Canals & Munne
- Canals Canals
- Canals Nadal
- Carles Mora Ferrer
- Castell d’Age
- Castelo de Pedregosa
- Cavas Lavernoya
- Caves Ferret
- Caves Hill
- Celler Cal Santo
- Celler Cal Serrador
- Celler Can Pujol
- Celler Credo
- Celler de l’Arboc
- Celler Josep M. Ferret Guasch
- Celler Planas Albareda
- Celler Puig Romeu
- Cellers Avgvstvs
- Celler Vell
- Civino
- Colet
- Cooperativa de Llorenc
- Cooperativa de Sant Jaume dels Domenys
- Covides
- Cusco Berga
- Emendis
- Eudald Massana Noya
- Felix Massana Rafols
- Ferre i Catasus
- Finca Avino
- Finca Parera
- Finca Valldosera
- Finca Viladellops
- Francisco Dominguez Cruces
- Germina Viti
- Giro del Gorner
- Giro Ribot
- Gramona
- Grimau
- Heretat Mas Tinell
- Heretat Mestres
- Heretat Mont-Rubi
- J.B. Berger
- Jane Ventura
- Jaume Giro Giro
- Jaume Llopart Alemany
- Juame Serra
- Jean Leon
- Joan Esteva Nadal
- Joan Llopart Pons
- Joan Pinol Torrents
- Joan Sarda
- Joan Segura Pujades
- Josep Esteve Gibert
- Josep Guilera Riambau
- Julia Bernet
- Juve y Camps
- La Xarmada
- Llagrima d’Or
- Llopart
- Lluis Vich Sastre
- Loxarel
- Maria Casanovas
- Maria Font Puig
- Mas Bertran
- Mas Can Colome
- Mas Candi
- Mas Codina
- Mas Comtal
- Mas dels Clavers
- Mas Rodo
- Mas Romani
- Mas Uberni
- Masachs
- Mascaro
- Masia Bach
- Masia Ginebreda
- Masolive
- Mata d’Abello
- Miguel Torres
- Mil liari
- Miquel Pons
- Mont Marcal
- Montau de Sadurni
- Mungust
- Nadal
- Naveran
- Neyndorff & Thies
- Nuria Poch Urpi
- Oliver Viticultors
- Oriol Rossell
- Parato
- Pardas
- Pares Balta
- Pere Olivella Rovira
- Pere Rius
- Pere Ventura
- Picher
- Pinord
- Puig Munts
- Raventos
- Rimarts
- Romagosa Torne
- Rovellats
- Sabate i Coca
- Sant Joannes
- Sebastia Pie Rovira
- Segura Viudas
- Soler Jove
- Suces de Rafael de Camps
- Sumarroca
- Tarrida i Sibil
- Tayaimgut
- Torello
- Torre Del Veguer
- Torrens Moliner
- VallDolina
- Vallformosa
- Vega de Ribes
- Ventura Soler
- Vilarnau
- Vina Torreblanca
- Vinicola de Moy Riviere
- Vins el Cep
- Vinya Escude
- Xamos
- Xavier Ventura Vendrell