Why the Spanish DO Penedès wants to become fully organic? – a quick guide to the wine region

The association of the Spanish DO Penedès appellation has some huge plans. They want to convert the whole wine producing Spanish region to an organic cultivation. With the new rules in order they should accomplish this by 2025. This is an ambitious schedule – but the president of the DO Penedès, Joan Huguet, is optimistic. Currently, about 60 percent of the vineyards are already certified and they say that the support from the producers is very great as well.

This plan is also implemented in one of the top category of DO Cava, Cava de Guarda Superior where their aim is the same, to be fully organic by 2025. Probably the main reason behind this is because the producers are striving for DOQ status which is the top of the Spanish wine classification. So far, it only has been given for two appellations:  DOC Rioja and DOQ Priorat.

And if you are not familiar with the term organic, let me explain it to you quickly:

Organic wines must be certified as such for the sensitivity and sustainability of the entire winemaking process. Vineyards can not treated with chemical or systemic products, and use organic fertilizers that respect the natural environment, biodiversity and, of course, our health. Moreover, in the winery very little sulphur dioxide is used, keeping sulfites to a minimum.

Tipp for organic wines from Penedès:

If you want to buy organic wine it is important to check for the seal of the Catalan Council of Ecological Agricultural Production (CCPAE) on the label.

Have you already heard about the region of Penedès?  Here is what you have to know:

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.

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.

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.

It is a region of both white and red wines but what it is really shines here is the native white variety Xarel-lo.

Xarel-lo is the most widely planted variety in the DO Penedès with over 700 hectares under vine. It adapts well to the terrors and climates of the Penedès. It is a rustic plant with steady growth that shoots early in the spring. Resistant to both drought and heat, production and quality are well balanced year after year, improving in old vines. Next to this native grape we can find other indigenous varieties here such as Macabeu and Parellada and also international varieties were successfully introduced to the region over the years (Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc…).

About the red grapes, we can mainly find them in the hot and humid coastal plains, mostly the more typical Spanish black grapes (Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena) but also some  Merlot, Monastrell, Samsó / Mazuela with Syrah.

Cava is inextricably linked to still wine production in the region, as its booming success of recent years has provided the revenue and innovation behind the rise, both in quality and in fortunes, of the region’s still wines.

How about you? Would you be interested to buy DO Penedès wines more often if you’re sure they are all organic?

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