Tarragona

DO Tarragona boasts a number of diverse terroirs, with those closest to the sea markedly different to the inland terroirs along the Ebre river.

Grapes

White grapes predominate in the DO Tarragona with white varieties representing 83% of the total area and 17% red varieties. The grape varieties used to make wines in the DO Tarragona are: Macabeu, Cartoixà or Xarel·lo, Parellada, Moscatell Frontignan, Moscatell d'Alexandria, Garnatxa Blanca, Malvasia de Sitges, Subirat Parent or Malvasia, Xarel·lo Vermell, Sumoll Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vinyater, Ull de Llebre / Tempranillo, Sumoll, Carinyena, Garnatxa Negra, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Soils and climate

One characteristic of the DO Tarragona is the heterogeneity of soils. The soils of the Camp de Tarragona region are mostly Miocene, calcareous and light soils, the soils of the Ribera d'Ebre area are calcareous and stony from the Tertiary period with Quaternary alluviums. In the DO Tarragona the climate is Mediterranean with continental influences in the highest area of the Ebre Valley. The vineyards are affected by the marinada (sea to shore breeze) and the mistral in the area of the Tarragona plain and by the mistral in the Ribera d'Ebre.This Mediterranean climate is characterized by mild winters and much hotter summers, although they are tempered by the sea breezes. The average annual rainfall in the Tarragona plain is 475mm and in the Ribera d'Ebre 650mm. In the Ribera d'Ebre the winter is cold and the summers are hot and very bright. The development of the vine in this type of climate is optimal and produces high quality grapes, perfect for making fortified wines.

Grape production area

The municipalities that make up the DO Tarragona production area are the following: Alt Camp Alcover, Alió, Bràfim, Cabra del Camp, El Milà, El Pla de Santa Maria, El Pont d'Armentera, El Rourell, Els Garidells, Figuerola del Camp, La Masó, Montferri, Nulles, Puigpelat, Rodonyà, Vallmoll, Valls, Vila-rodona, Vilabella.
Baix Camp Alforja, Almoster, Botarell, Cambrils, Castellvell del Camp, Coll de Jou, Duesaigües, L'Albiol, L'Aleixar, L'Argentera, La Selva del Camp, Les Borges del Camp, Maspujols, Mont-roig del Camp, Montbrió del Camp, Reus, Riudecanyes, Riudecols, Riudoms, Vilanova de l'Escornalbou, Vinyols i els Arcs, Prades, Mont-Ral, Capafonts, La Febró.
Ribera d'Ebre Ascó, Benissanet, Flix, Garcia, Ginestar, La Palma d'Ebre, La Torre de l'Espanyol, Miravet, Móra d'Ebre, Móra la Nova, Rasquera, Riba-roja d'Ebre, Tivissa, Vinebre, El Perelló.
Tarragonès Altafulla, Constantí, El Catllar, El Morell, Els Pallaresos, La Nou de Gaià, La Pobla de Mafumet, La Pobla de Montornès, La Riera de Gaià, La Secuita, Perafort, Renau, Salomó, Tarragona, Torredembarra, Vespella de Gaià, Vila-seca, Vilallonga del Camp, Salou, La Canonja.

Specificity and historical notes

The amphora on the logo of the Denominació d'Origen Tarragona symbolises the millenarian presence of vitiviniculture in this Appellation. It also links us to the Roman Empire and its cultural legacy, since the amphora was the pottery vessel used in ancient times to store and transport wine. From the first century AD, from Tarraco, the capital and political center of the large province of Hispania and a commercial port of first order, many boats loaded with amphoras filled with wine left for Rome, capital of the Empire, but there were also many that went to Gaul, Germania or Britain. In these exports the wines of Tarraco were already marketed withe their geographical procedence, as evidenced by the writings of the first century Latin authors such as Silius Italicus, Martial and Pliny the Younger. The Roman Empire was the true impulse behind winemaking in the regions of Tarragona, the territories of Tarraco stood out for their wines and were considered the most privileged of the empire. In Tarragona there has always been a great export tradition in wine, so much so that the Carrer Real street in Tarragona, next to the Port, was an area where a large number of wineries were concentrated, exporting their wines throughout Europe. Maintaining this position of privilege in international markets can only be achieved through constant innovation in the vine cultivation and wine production.