Decanter World Wine AwardsPenedes to divide into 'six sub-regions'
- Monday 17 October 2011
Image: discover-eu.com
Josep Albet, owner of the Albet I Noya winery and recently elected president of the Regulatory Council of the Penedès DO, is leading a campaign to demarcate the region into five or six further sub-zones, with the emphasis on promoting some superior sub-regions within the generic appellation.
He told Decanter.com that the existing appellation was woefully outdated and did not reflect the massive diversity of terroirs within Penedès.
‘In our region vines grow along the Mediterranean coast to 800m above sea level, on the top of our mountains.
‘We have two chains of mountains and a valley in the middle of Penedès, resulting in different microclimates and varying soil compositions - all these differences make five or six distinct areas which give different wines.’
According to Albet, the following sub-regions are proposed within Penedès – Garraf, Ordal, Alt Penedes, Central Valley A and Central Valley B.
A further sixth sub-zone is still being decided upon.
Albet and his supporters are currently in the process of undertaking a study to establish the boundaries for each sub-zone, before submitting their proposal for the approval of the Penedès Wine Council.
‘Considering all the bureaucracy ahead of us this could take two years, but it depends really on how capable we are of arguing our case to the council’, Albet said.
‘If we are successful, these changes could be implemented by summer 2012’, he added.
Have your say!
Jeremy B.
December 08 10:44
This is good news, some parts of Penedés are doing all the work building reputation.
I am glad for them.
Blanca Ozcariz
October 20 10:02
Any change that may help our grappes to be paid more than 0.17E/kg is worth for us.
Every year I am tempted to pull out the 55 years-old vines planted by my grand-father.
In other regions, that grappes would be so apreciated !!!!!!!!
It's a pity, but that is nowadays the Penedes reality.
Nico James
October 18 17:49
I agree with Albet that there is a vast diversity in the Penedès in terms of Terroir Expression and quality and this seems to be the main reason for the desire to create a sub division system within the Appellation.
However, how is anyone outside the region going to come to grips with these sub denominations when many outside of Spain haven't even heard of Penedes? Spain has,with 70 appellations,a huge task on its hands: to create more awareness for Spanish wines and increase their marketability. Not an easy task with so many divided interests and lack of cohesion and concept to act as a single block.
Creating more sub-regions will do little for the Penedes and cause even further confusion for the would be Spanish Wine Consumer who finds wines from South Africa, Chile and Argentina much more attractive and easier to understand. Communication is the key to make Spain more appealing.
Penedes with sub-appellations: is it worth all the paperwork? Not for me..
James Swann, Ditton Wine Traders
October 18 15:09
It’s a very interesting development.
Penedèss is easily one of the most important wine economies in Spain.
Its winegrowers have long suffered from cripplingly low grapes prices due to the local oligopoly. Nonetheless, the region is indeed historic, diverse and well suited the production of quality wine.