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The Terra Alta Designation of Origin is Catalonia’s southernmost designation.
It groups together twelve districts from the Terra Alta region, which is an inland region in Tarragona on the boundary with Aragon. The climate is very sunny with scarce rainfall, and the clay soil with poor permeability results in strong wines with a high alcohol content. The layout of the terrain is varied and the grapevines grow in valleys and plains as well as on terraces to resolve the differences in elevation. The vast majority of the wine-producing farmers’ cooperatives were created in the early 20th century. The Designation of Origin and its regulatory council were established in 1972, with their headquarters in Gandesa. Its red wines are made with the maçola, white garnacha and garnacha peluda varieties and the whites, with white garnacha and macabeo. They also make dry wines and dessert wines, and outstanding mature wines which are aged in oak barrels for five years. White wines with the Terra Alta Designation of Origin are described as being fresh and balanced; the rosés are fruity, and the reds are bold with a deep ruby colour. The dessert wines are quite sweet. There is a Food Fair in Gandesa at the end of October which includes a wine festival, first celebrated in 1987. It includes talks, wine samplings, mini wine-tasting courses and lunch for everyone present. The Espai del Vi i de l’Oli (Wine and Oil Centre) is a visitors’ centre in Gandesa dedicated to these two products from Terra Alta. It organises exhibitions, courses, talks and debates throughout the year. The Wine Route also starts from this town, and passes through the wine-producing areas in the region, past the vineyards with their characteristic marges, dry stone structures that delimit hillsides and terraces, and a genuine symbol of the vine-grower’s work. In Pinell de Brai there is a Modernist vineyard designed by Cèsar Martinell. There is a glazed ceramic frieze by Xavier Nogués on the façade of this winery, with allegorical scenes of grapevines and wine. For red wines undergoing vintage ageing (combining wood and bottle), ageing will last at least 14 months, 3 of which in oak containers with a maximum capacity of 1,000 l. Rancio wines made from white garnacha will be aged for at least five years in oak container in the case of dry wines; and only two years in oak container in the case of sweet wines. In both cases, traditional practices are implemented for the wines to gain the characteristics of each and every type. |
