Catalonia

Catalan wines are those produced in Catalonia's wine regions. The appellation is occasionally given to French wine produced in the Catalan region of Roussillon and adjacent territories, often known as Northern Catalonia or the Pays Catalans. Barcelona is Catalonia's capital, and despite not being in a wine region (though a portion of the Penedès is in the greater comarca of Barcelona), it is the focal point of the Catalan wine industry: a primary consumer market, its port serves as an export function, and it is a source of financial resources and investment. The Penedès is Catalonia's largest wine-producing area.

The region has a long winemaking history, and the sparkling wine Cava was established in the early 1870s in Sant Sadurn d'Anoia by Josep Raventós of Codorniu Winery. The Catalan wine industry was at the vanguard of Spain's rise as a world leader in quality wine production at the start of the twentieth century, being the first Spanish wine area to employ stainless steel fermentation tanks. The region is also a significant cork production location, with output mostly geared towards the region's Cava establishments. Catalonia is now Spain's second-largest wine producer, with about 5.5 million hectolitres produced.

Catalan wines include sparkling Cava, dry white wines, and robust reds known as "black" wine or vi negre in Catalan because of the color of the vine. The region's grapes include Cava and white wine varietals Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarello, as well as red wine grapes Garnacha, Monastrell, and Tempranillo known as Ull de Llebre in Catalan. Sparkling white wine production is the greatest contribution to the Catalan wine sector, followed by still red wine production and finally still whites. While Cava blends account for the majority of the region's wines, various varietal wines are also produced.

Location: Spain