Pla de Bages Wine Region Guide

Pla de Bages is in the centre of Catalonia, Spain and is famous for their wines. The wine culture in Pla de Bages is something you cannot miss out on. The vineyards of the Pla de Bages region produce wines that have an international reputation. They are high quality wines, ready to be tasted should you ever get the chance to visit this well known wine region in Spain. It's soil, grape varieties and its wine style make it a standout in the region. Pla de Bages is grown exclusively in this Spanish region but its taste can't be found anywhere else.

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Where is the Pla de Bages Wine Region

The Pla de Bages DO (Designation of Origin) is located in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, in northeastern Spain. It encompasses an area within the Bages region, known for its vineyards and winemaking tradition. The Pla de Bages DO is recognized for producing wines with unique characteristics that reflect the terroir and grape varieties of the area.

If you love authenticity and getting off track, you must visit el Bages! El Bages is located in the
centre of Catalonia, very close to Barcelona (only 50 minutes away), but completely far from the
crowds and tourists. Our region is in the rural countryside, where Catalan popular traditions are
still very strong under the vigilant eye of the magnificent Montserrat Mountain.

History of Pla de Bages Wine Region

El Bages has always been an exceptional zone for winemaking. Some historians say that
actually “El Bages” comes from “Bacus”, the Roman god of wine, as the evidence tells us that there
was an important Roman village called Bacasis where people already used to produce wine. During the Middle Ages vines expanded considerably, especially under the influence of the Benedictine monastery of Sant Benet de Bages is one of the highlights of the area where you can experience the activity “Wine stories in the monastery” and discover how monks produced wine and the importance it had for the region. But wine was not only produced within the monasteries. Common people made stone-built cellars where they produced wine. Still, now, it is possible to visit them in the middle of the forest.
However, it was in the mid-19th century when el Bages lived its great period of splendour and became the area with the most vineyards in all of Catalonia with 27,700 hectares. The reasons? El Bages was the wine region closest to the villages in the mountains and the Pyrenees and after the disgrace of the phylloxera in France, demand and prices rise abruptly. Winegrowers took the opportunity to start to plant vines even in the most difficult areas of El Bages such as steep hills in the forest.

This effort culminated in 1995 when the Pla de Bages region was officially granted the status of Designation of Origin (DO), recognizing its distinctive characteristics and guaranteeing the authenticity and quality of its wines.

The art of dry-stone walling, knowledge and techniques was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018.
The importance that winemaking once had was rekindled in the late 20th century thanks to the creation of the DO Pla de Bages and the excellent work of the wineries who today make great wines from recovered local varieties such as picapoll and mandó.

Terrior of Pla de Bages

The Pla de Bages is situated in the hills and mountains. This gives it's climate a good effect which protects it from the Mediterranean Sea. The climate of Pla de Bages is typical continental due to being protected from the Mediterranean Sea.The soil has good moisture-retaining properties. Topsoil in the region is deep and quite pebbly due to the high lime content. This often forms hard, crusty layers that have to be broken through to help the roots penetrate.

Pla de Bages Wine Characteristics

Pla de Bages- Home to diverse wine flavours, from naturally sweet to sparkling and red, white, and rosé wines. It’s a little difficult to identify what makes Pla del Bages its own DO. Catalonia is famous for both its white wines and its reds. They produce many brands made up of both varieties as well as blends but Picapoll, a white wine grape native to Catalonia, is featured mainly in the region's white wines. In Pla de Bages the grape varieties are: White wines- Picapoll, Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay. Red wines- Grenach, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

Food to pair with Pla de Bages Wine

1. Zarzuela de mariscos

Zarzuela de Mariscos is a traditional Catalan seafood stew. It contains ground almonds and these ingredients cause bold flavors. The main foundation of zarzuela de mariscos, though, is various seafood options like mussels, clams, and shrimp. Some people also like to add scallops and calamari to their dish as well. Other ingredients include saffron, white wine, olive oil and bay leaves among others. Pla de Bages wines are great with this dish.

2. Paella Catalana

Chef Quim is quoted as saying he created this dish to represent the perfect balance of sea and land. This paella typically has a variety of ingredients including saffron-flavored rice, chicken, longaniza sausage, crayfish, prunes, and artichokes or peas depending on the season. Baga wines are a great pairing for this dish.

Places to visit near Pla de Bages

1. Park Guell

Park Guell is one of the finest and most lively parks created by Antoni Gaudí, who's often known as a pioneer of Catalan Modernism in Barcelona. He built it in with love.Antonio Gaudí's playful design for Parc Guell drew thousands of admirers to the site, it's a definite must-see this park.

3. Montserrat Monastery

Visit the Montserrat monastery, an operating Benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century, and join pilgrims from around the world. Listen to the angelic voices of the Monastery’s celebrated boys’ choir (pending school schedules).

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Frequently asked questions about Pla de Bages Wine