vineyards
intensity and freshness
Conca de Barberà is a small Denomination of Origin in eastern Spain. It is located at the north of Tarragona and covers an area of about 5,900 hectares. It has 30 wineries.
The erosive action of the rivers Francolí and Anguera that run through the region has shaped it into a river valley surrounded by mountain ranges over millions of years. At the east, the mountains of Miramar and Cogulló. At the west, the mountains of Tallat and Vilobí. At the north, the mountains of Montclar, Quince and Comalats and at south, the magnificent Mountains of Prades.
The vineyard stands between 350 and 800 m above sea level, with the majority of the vines located at middle altitudes. In most of the DO, the soils are calcareous and poor in organic content with clay textures and a characteristic reddish colour. At the bottom of the basin, the valleys of the Anguera and Francolí rivers have created fluvial terraces with stones in great depths. At the southwest corner of the region, on the slopes of the Serra de Prades, thin slate soils are present.
The continental character of the inland regions and the softness of the Mediterranean influence the climate of the DO. Humid and temperate winds blow in from the coast. It is a DO with remarkable temperature changes between day and night, with cold winters and hot summers. In winter, freezings are a feature of the lowlands, principally due to intense daily temperature changes. The annual average temperature is between 13 ºC and 14 ºC, with a maxima in summer that can exceed the 35 C and a minima in winter often below 0 °C. There are about 2,700 hours of sunshine per year and the annual rainfall is between 450 and 550 mm.
The combined effects of relief and altitude contribute to the creation of microclimates, each with its own notable peculiarities The Conca de Barberà was, in the early twentieth century, an area where many wine cooperatives with Art Nouveau architecture were created.
It is interesting to visit the wineries known as “The Route of the Wine Cathedrals".
More information www.doconcadebarbera.com