This region's history in viniculture goes back to the time of Ancient Greece. It is very probable that the Greeks brought the first vines to Spain by way of the Pyrenees. Later it was the Romans, who promoted viniculture on the peninsula.
Catalonia is in Spain's northeast, and includes these four provinces: Barcelona, Tarragona, Lérida, and Girona. The landscape is variable here: there are the Pyrenees to the North, in the center there is the Ebro River, and the outermost part of Catalonia lies on the Mediterranean. This variations in climate lead oa wide assortment of wines. Viniculture is concentrated to the area around Penedés and Tarragona on the Mediterranean because the climate is typical there, which mean there is lots of sun all year and the winters are mild. The soils of this region are very suitable for viniculture.
Catalonia has eight DOs (origin designation), and the most important wines are the Cavas, the white wines, the young wines from Penedés, the "rancio"-Wein, and the "olorosos" from Tarragona (similar to Sherry), the sweet wines from Priorat, the rosé from L´Empordá, liqueurs, and vermouth wines, that are processed in oak barrels.
There are also various vines that are used: the white Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía, Pedro Ximénez, and Pansé and the red Cariñena, Garnucha Peluda, Sumoll, Garnacha Tinta, Monastrell, and Ull de Llebre.
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