Penedès

Penedès is a Spanish Denominación de Origen, DO (Catalan: Denominació d'Origen), for wines in Catalonia (Spain). Penedès DO includes all Penedès region and municipalities of four other counties: Anoia, Alt Camp, Baix Llobregat and Tarragonès. The area is framed by the coastal hills of the Garraf Massif and the higher inland mountains which skirt the Central Depression.Long considered one of the country's best wine-producing regions after the Rioja, it is also one of the most ancient viticultural areas in Europe. Perhaps better-known for its cava production (a sparkling wine which has had its own Denominación de Origen since 1991) white grape varieties predominate, although the region also produces some highly regarded, oak-aged reds.GeographyThe Denominació d'Origen Penedès is centred in the regional capital, Vilafranca del Penedès, with nearby Sant Sadurní d'Anoia the acknowledged centre of Cava production. Besides these two, the principal towns are Vilanova i la Geltrú, Sitges and el Vendrell. The Penedès denominación includes 66 municipalities.