Terra Alta
Decanter|March 2019

With its high vineyards and limestone soils, this large Catalonian DO makes distinctive whites from the Garnatxa Blanca grape. Miquel Hudin takes us on a tour of the region and introduces the top producers and wines to look out for.

Terra Alta

ONLY A FOOLISH Catalan politician would mention how Catalonia ends at the Ebro river – and only the most foolish among them would say such a thing while standing south of said river. Blustery populism aside, Catalonia does not end at the Ebro; instead it actually rises sharply from it. These distant hinterlands – some 175km inland to the west and a nod to the south from hip, touristic Barcelona – represent a very different side of Catalonia compared to the sunny, selfie-prone beaches that are familiar to most.

This ‘high land’ or terra alta forms the geographic base for DO Terra Alta, where winemaking has been documented since medieval times. However, it’s only in the last decade that the region has resoundingly come of age, making white Grenache (Garnatxa Blanca as it’s known in Catalan, or Garnacha Blanca) its signature grape in the process, while also recuperating ancient red grape varieties such as Morenillo.

Collective history

Wine production in Terra Alta was documented and regulated by the Knights Templar from the 13th century onwards, but phylloxera and the brutal Battle of the Ebro in the Spanish Civil War very nearly wrote the region’s final chapter in viticulture. Sparsely populated, many people left after these bleak times to seek out a better life in the cities. Thus, the village cooperatives were formed to stabilise agricultural work for those who didn’t migrate. With a normalisation of wine production, this in turn eventually led to the formation of the Terra Alta DO in 1972.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM DECANTERView all
A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders
Decanter

A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders

Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation’s borders

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024
Great Cabernets of South America
Decanter

Great Cabernets of South America

Other varieties may hog the limelight across South America, but the world’s most popular grape for red wines has played a critical role in the continent's wine heritage. We trace Cabernet Sauvignon’s story here, and recommend 16 benchmark wines to try

time-read
7 mins  |
September 2024
PROVENCE by train and bike
Decanter

PROVENCE by train and bike

With rail links to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and beyond, a vast network of cycle paths and quiet roads, and a plethora of historic wine estates, Provence is an ideal destination for an eco-friendly, car-free and carefree) holiday

time-read
6 mins  |
September 2024
IN THE MIX
Decanter

IN THE MIX

These days most of the world’s vineyards are planted to just a single variety, but what happens when multiple varieties are planted, harvested and blended together?

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
Malvasia A BUYER'S GUIDE
Decanter

Malvasia A BUYER'S GUIDE

If ever a grape was hard to pin down, it'd be Malvasia. Indeed it’s not even a single grape variety. In all of its many varied, and often completely unrelated guises, it has been the mainstay of popular wine styles across the centuries. Our expert takes a closer look...

time-read
9 mins  |
September 2024
RIBERA ADOPTS THE NEW OLD WAYS
Decanter

RIBERA ADOPTS THE NEW OLD WAYS

It’s not so much a new direction for winemakers in Ribera del Duero, but a growing recognition that traditional methods and wine styles set aside by the previous generation can now provide a way ahead to revitalise the region

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024
Roussanne around the world
Decanter

Roussanne around the world

Up for a challenge? For winemakers as much as wine drinkers, getting a handle on a mercurial grape such as Roussanne isn't easy. But wherever it's grown, when the balance is right, it truly repays the effort

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Napa Cabernet 2021
Decanter

Napa Cabernet 2021

There's a lot of excitement about this vintage, in which conditions were relatively calm and temperatures stable through summer. Ongoing drought reduced yields but intensified flavours, but it means quantities are down and you may need to act fast to secure top wines. Our Napa correspondent selects 60 great wines from more than 500 that he tasted, with many very high scores

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
10 reason to discover Uruguay
Decanter

10 reason to discover Uruguay

Squeezed between Brazil and Argentina on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay has mostly flown under the tourist radar - until now. Once dubbed 'the Switzerland of the Americas', it's a welcoming country that has much to offer the travelling wine lover

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024
Leo Erazo
Decanter

Leo Erazo

The old vines and special terroir of Itata, southern Chile, have beena source of inspiration for this intrepid winemaker. The 2023 fires were a setback, but his commitment to this ancient wine land is undiminished

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024