Catalonia, Spain

Catalonia, the most dynamic and progressive of Spain's wine areas, is situated in the north-east corner of Spain, around the busy port of Barcelona. It's a region that identifies culturally more with France than with Spain - and it boasts its own Catalan language and a strong separatist political movement.Grapes have been successfully planted here since Phoenician times, and Catalonia has often been at the forefront of new techniques and plantings. Two factors have guided the modern growth of Catalonia - the Cava industry and the innovations of producers such as Miguel Torres, who dramatically improved the quality of Catalonian wines in the past two decades by introducing international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.

CAVA
Cava may be Spain's answer to Champagne, but it is a distinctly different wine. The word "Cava", which means cellar in Spanish, is used for the same reason that South Africa introduced the Méthode Cap Classique tag: to distinguish it from Champagne.

Although Spain adopted the techniques used in Champagne as long ago as the late 19th century, the grapes used are traditionally Spanish: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Today Cava is still made according to the traditional French method and must spend at least nine months in bottle, but it is now permissible to use the traditional grapes of Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Cava is made in 159 municipalities and in eight different provinces and was granted its own DO (Denominacion de Origen) status in 1986. More than 90% of all Cava originates from Catalonia and total production is around 200 million bottles a year! Production has been dominated by Codorniu and Freixenet.

Interestingly, the mechanical gyropallet used worldwide to agitate the sediment in the bottles during secondary fermentation (taking over from manual riddling of individual bottles) was developed in Catalonia.

< br />A quick A-Z guide to Catalonia
Alella, one of the smallest DO in Spain, is just north-east of Barcelona and has a reputation for producing fruity white wines. Its plantings include an indigenous grape, Pansa Blanca, as well as Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.

Ampurdan-Costa Brava, immediately south of the French border, at the foot of the Pyrenees, is known for its rosé and red wines, made mainly from Carignan and Grenache.

Conca de Barbera, a hilly area west of Barcelona, is regarded with some excitement by producers. It's known for its whites and Cava, but is increasingly being planted to international varieties. Chardonnay is thriving, while reds such as Merlot are doing well.

Costers del Segre, a newish area in the province of Lerida, was neglected for many years until progressive producers started planting modern international varietals. There are a large number of very small producers who are receiving critical acclaim for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Penedes has always been the most important of Catalonia's wine areas and is responsible for a large proportion of total production. It can actually be sub-divided into three areas - Bajo Penedes, Medio Penedes and Alta Penedes. Bajo Penedes is the hot, low-lying coastal area that is best for black grapes because of its limestone, clay and sandy soils. Medio Penedes, the slightly hilly area behind the coastal area, accounts for about 60% of all Penedes wines - predominantly white and Cava. Alta Penedes is a high-lying drier, slightly cooler area with a climate similar to that of Bordeaux. White wines are made from Parellada, but also Riesling and ewürztraminer.

Priorat was granted individual Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOC), the highest possible Spanish quality classification, in 2001. (The other regions have DO status.) For information on Priorat, please refer to the August 2004 issue of WINE magazine.

Tarragona, a southerly Catalonian appellation that surrounds the city of the same name, is the largest and is known for its light whites and somewhat robust reds. Quality does not match that of neighbouring Penedes, although an influx of Australian winemaking expertise means things are improving.

Terra Alta, as the name implies, is a high-lying area away from the coast. It produces solid, reliable white and red wines that are good for everyday drinking.