Cataluña (Catalunya)

Up-and-coming DO in the extreme south of the wine-growing region of Catalonia in Spain, it borders on Tarragona in the west, and is named with reference to its geographical location, as it is on a high plateau. The vineyard area totals around 8.300 hectares, the vineyards are located at an altitude of around 400 metres above sea level, but rising up as high as 960 metres. In the past, the dominant variety planted was the white Garnacha Blanca, which accounted for three quartes of the total vineyard area, the remainder was Cariñena (Mazuelo), Garnacha and Macabeo. However, since 1995 new varieties such as Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Parellada, Syrah and Tempranillo have been permitted and their use encouraged. At this stage, most of the wines are still used for the production of cava, as well as for the traditional Catalan products Mistela and Rancio.