Wine regions in Catalonia. Tourism and holidays in Catalonia
Catalonia is located in the Northeastern part of Spain. It borders France and the Mediterranean sea. This position gave it for centuries a very important role, not only in obvious military terms but more importantly, as a trade area. Ports as important as the one in Barcelona were established since times that date back to the days of Greek dominance in the Mediterranean.
Wine and trade go hand in hand through the course of history. The same can be said of gastronomy. With such a long Mediterranean coastline, Catalonian gastronomy is very much about fish. But as we turn inland, many different microclimates surge and this has originated a rich and very interesting gastronomy Catalonia is also rich in vegetables and some of its most famous dishes like Escalivada or çalzots are 100% vegetarian. But the region is also famous thanks to the butifarra, a traditional sausage which is a good testimony of the diversity of food we find in these lands.
The same applies to wines. A very eclectic winemaking approach that expresses its many different terroirs. We can find different Dos (wine appellations) with Catalonia: Alella is the closest to Barcelona on its north. Penedes, south of Barcelona is the largest and also world-famous thanks to Cava and to a top producer like bodegas Torres. Priorato or Priorat, the red wine region in Tarragona is probably the most traditional, yet most modern DO in Catalonia. It offers a unique microclimate and soil. But the amount of wine appellations goes on and on: Tarragona, Montsant (which is located right next to Priorat), Terra Alta on the west bordering Aragon, Costers del Segre in Lleida and Conca de Barbera.
Modern Catalan wines virtually reinvented itself in recent times. Large wineries like Torres co-exist with small boutique producers that try to extract the essence of a single plot. With so many different sub-regions and approaches to wine, it is almost impossible to get bored and not to fall in love with the wines from this beautiful part of Spain.
In Catalonia there are as many as 11 Denomination of Origin with a wine-making tadition dating back to centuries in certain cases. The Catalunya Denominations of Origin is the only one which has been created in more recent years, and its vineyards cover the whole Catalonia territory.
The most outstanding DO is Cava, Spain´s most famous sparkling wine. Catalonia holds 90% of cava production, in an area comprised between Barcelona and Tarragona; The remaining 10% is shared among other regions. This provides a very varied reality. Wines from Catalonia is not an easy topic to cover! You can clearly see what we mean by having a look at the Catalonia wine map on this link. So much variety to enjoy and taste!
Catalonia offers a good number of wine routes, some of which are amongst the most visited routes in Spain due to its many assets and proximity to the beaches of the Mediterranean. It is close to Barcelona and Tarragona, two dynamic cities, and to the Mediterranean coast, and it provides us the unique opportunity to visit key players in cava production in Spain.
Among our holiday ideas, you can find a fantastic offer to profit from Barcelona, its culture and gastronomy and do a 1-day wine excursion.
Part of this Route can be made in 1 Day with our very convinient 1 day Wine Tour from Barcelona. 3 well-known wineries are visited and you will enjoy both wine and cava (Spanish Sparkling wine) during this Tour.
The most beautiful wine region is probably Priorat. Located close to two hours south of Barcelona, in the region of Tarragona, Priorat boasts
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