The so-called Customs of Orta (1296) and Miravet (1319) already regulated the sale of wine from the region. But it wasn't until the late nineteenth century that winegrowing became widespread. With the phylloxera plague, the demand from producers for DO Terra Alta [1] grapes increased, first from the French and then from the neighbouring regions that today are DO Tarragona and DOQ Priorat.
In the early twentieth century, the organisation of cooperatives was a revolution. Today, eleven of twelve municipalities within the denomination have a cooperative winery. The modernist wineries of Pinell de Brai and Gandesa, designed by the architect Cèsar Martinell, are famous for their stunning architecture. In 1982, the Regulatory Council of the Denomination of Origin was established.
The DO Terra Alta defines its wines as a perfect pairing between body and soul. The Garnacha Blanca is the variety that gives it the greatest idiosyncrasies, with yellow colours full of nuances that range from pale to golden, with a very subtle nose and, above all, a high density on the palate. The soils are all rich in limestone and poor in organic matter. And there are up to seventeen classifications of soils in the region, including a windblown mix of sand and decomposed limestone known as panal.
The selection of Clos del Pinell wines has an exceptional advocate: the Garnacha from the Terra Alta. Young, still wines that provide the utmost expressiveness of this variety that has been so enthusiastically...
The selection of Clos del Pinell wines has an exceptional advocate: the Garnacha from the Terra Alta. Young, still wines that provide the utmost expressiveness of this variety that has been so enthusiastically...
Somdinou evokes the origins of the Cooperativa Gandesa, built in 1919. The name reflects the fact that the members joined forces to build the key to the future. Wines influenced by the DO Terra Alta soils, using...
L'Home Peix is a wine to have fun, enjoy the red Grenache of the DO Terra Alta in monovarietal format and celebrate a feast on our palate. This wine is a great choice for a summer barbecue. Enjoy it with friends,...
Mil nou-cents dinou (1919) evokes the origins of the Gandesa Cooperative, built that same year. It is a young red wine marked by the quality of the DO Terra Alta and made with red grenache, carignan and syrah...
The 'continental Mediterranean' climate is one of the factors that influences both the varieties and the character of its wines. This classification is characterised by high levels of sun and scarce rainfall. What's more, there's a unique balance between the two dominant winds, the Cierzo and the Garbinada (southerly sea breezes) and a cold winter that points towards a certain continental classification.
Five varieties make up 75% of the vineyards in the DO: Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Peluda, Macabeo and Sansón. As for the rest of the classified grape varieties, in general, the characteristics of the terroir mean that they fall into the mid- to late-ripening period, which fosters the characteristic viticulture of the production area in non-traditional locations.
In recent years, an admirable job has been done to recover native varieties, such as the Morenillo, which was finally authorised in the spring of 2020.
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