Penedès DOP
Penedès (Catalan pronunciation: [pənəˈðɛs]) is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) (Denominació d'Origen Protegida in Catalan) for wines in Catalonia, (Spain). Penedès DOP includes all of the Penedès region and municipalities of four other counties: Anoia, Alt Camp, Baix Llobregat and Tarragonès. The area is framed by the coastal hills of the Garraf Massif and the higher inland mountains which skirt the Central Depression.
| Wine region | |
| Official name | D.O.P. Penedès |
|---|---|
| Type | Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) |
| Year established | 1932 |
| Country | Spain |
| Sub-regions | Lower, Central, Upper |
| Growing season | April - September |
| Climate region | IV |
| Heat units | 3500 |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 400 mm |
| Soil conditions | poor, permeable, variable: clay to chalk |
| Total area | 1557 km2 |
| Size of planted vineyards | 16,637 hectares (41,111 acres) |
| Grapes produced | 1,800 t/km2 |
| No. of wineries | 138 |
| Wine produced | 147,157 hectolitres |
| Official designation(s) | Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva |
| Comments | Data for 2016 / 2017 |
Long considered one of the country's best wine-producing regions after the Rioja, it is also one of the most ancient viticultural areas in Europe. Perhaps better-known for its Cava production (a sparkling wine which has had its own Denominación de Origen since 1986) white grape varieties predominate, although the region also produces some highly regarded, oak-aged reds.