Catalonia, with its vibrant capital Barcelona, comprises various wine-growing regions, both near the coast and inland. The largest and best known region is Penedès, south of Barcelona, with a vineyard area of over 26,000 hectares. Penedès is the heart of the Spanish sparkling wine production, the home of the famous "Cava". This sparkling wine is produced to a very high quality using the bottle fermentation process from indigenous varieties such as Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-Io. Meanwhile, the grape varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which are used worldwide for sparkling wine, are also permitted. The location on the coast as well as the altitude of the vineyards, up to 800 meters above sea level, favor the production of fresh base wines, but also of elegant still white and red wines. Penedès is also home to one of the most famous and largest wine producers in Spain, Miguel Torres. Founded in 1870, the company farms 1,500 hectares of vines in Spain alone and provides proof that farm size need not come at the expense of quality, offering a wide range of qualities, from inexpensive entry-level wines to rare premium wines. To the west of the Penedès lies the up-and-coming DO Conca de Barbera, whose 5,800 hectares produce good white, rosé and red wines from local and international grape varieties. Further south on the coast lies the small region of Montsant, from which, in addition to white wines, there are now quite remarkable red wines. Also among the up-and-coming regions in the neighborhood of Montsant are: Terra Alta, in the hinterland of Barcelona, the Catalunya region and, to the north of the capital, the Costers del Segre region, all with good prospects for the future. Catalonia also includes the absolute top Priorat region, which is treated separately.
