Vineyards

Sustainable winegrowing with its own identity

There are vineyards in all the landscape features of la Plana, l’Altiplano and les Valls, and they are particularly prevalent in the middle third of the production area at between 350 and 550 metres above sea level.

Terraces are the most common crop unit and are the outcome of the interaction of the crop with the varied terrain. They are laid out on various inclines and facing different ways, often between dry stone walls – the edges – or on slopes with plant cover, both of which help to avoid soil erosion.

The most traditional terrace sites are the plains and slopes, told apart by gradients of more or less than 10% respectively. The other vineyards are on ordered terraces, beds and valley floors with practically no gradient and therefore better use of water.

The predominance of traditional grape varieties is another distinctive feature of winegrowing in the TADO, and this is most evident in the garnatxes. Garnatxa blanca, Garnatxa negra and Garnatxa peluda are the predominant grape varieties. Together with Macabeu, Parellada and Samsó they make up three quarters of the cultivated area. In general, the other classified grape varieties in the TADO are mid-season and late-ripening grapes due to the terroir’s features. This means the production area’s winegrowing can be carried out on non-traditional sites.

These interactions with the terroir and its winemaking culture mean the TADO’s winegrowing is environmentally friendly in the bulk of its harvests. Furthermore, the grape harvest features ideal plant health conditions, ripe grapes and exceptional winemaking value for the production of protected wines.