The Olèrdola complex. A guide to 4,000 years of a Penedès wine country hilltop town

Olèrdola museum, built in refurbished old masia / rectory overlooking the Penedès wine region and Montserrat, Olèrdola monumental complex

Sitting proud on top of a limestone hill, overlooking the vineyards of the Penedès wine country, and the framed by the majestic Montserrat Mountain in the background, Olèrdola is a fascinating look into the history of wine and wine culture in the Barcelona and Catalonia area of Spain. The Olèrdola complex is located 45 minutes … Read more

Guide to the wine regions of Spain, part 2

Xarel·lo (Xarello / Xarel-lo) grape variety in late summer, with grapes ripening. Growing in the demonstration plot of Caves Llopart winery, Penedès, Barcelona, Spain

The wine regions of Spain Our guide to the wine regions of Spain began in Part 1 covering the wine regions of Alto Ebro including La Rioja, the Andalusian wine region, the Aragonese wine region, the Balearics wine region, the Canarian wine region, and the Cantabrian wine region. Here in Part 2 we will cover: … Read more

Classification order of Spanish Wine appellations – What do DOP, DOCa, DOQ, VP, VC, IGP Mean?

Classification Spanish Wine appellations

The denominación de origen system in Spain is used to regulate the quality and geographical origin of Spanish food and drink products. This system is similar to that found in other European countries, and is part of EU regulations. The denominación de origen system covers products such as cheese, olive oil, ham, and vinegar, but here … Read more

Gourmet picnic Barcelona and Catalonia

Penedès gourmet picnic Catalonia

One of the many joys of life in Catalonia is packing up a picnic basket and driving to an idyllic spot to lunch in the countryside. Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, and positioned in the northeast of the Iberian peninsula, visitors and locals alike are able to picnic all year round in most parts of … Read more