Penedes: Spain’s Best Kept Wine Secret

There is a quiet revolution happening just 30 minutes outside Barcelona. Among gently rolling hills, chalky soils, and a breeze lifted from the Mediterranean, you will find Penedès, a wine region that has long been underestimated and is now quietly transforming into one of Spain’s most exciting places for authentic, sustainable wines.

Best known for its sparkling wines, Penedès has historically lived in the shadow of flashier cousins like Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero. But those in the know, collectors, sommeliers, and natural wine lovers, have started whispering about its comeback. And they are not wrong. With exceptional producers like Maria Casanovas, Pardas, and Enric Soler leading the way, and indigenous grapes like Xarel·lo and Sumoll being championed anew, Penedès is one of Spain’s best kept secrets. But not for long.

What Makes Penedes Special?
The Penedès wine region sits between the Montserrat mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, giving it an enviable microclimate. Long sunshine hours, cool nights, and sea breezes make it ideal for fresh, aromatic whites, textured sparklings, and elegant reds with real identity. The soils are diverse, including limestone, clay, and sand. Altitudes range from 250 to over 800 metres, creating a playground for terroir-focused winemakers.

What truly sets Penedes apart in 2025 is its commitment to organic viticulture. The region is on track to be fully certified organic by the end of the year, a world first for any major wine region. This is not a marketing gimmick. It is a response to generations of unsustainable farming and a sign of the deep respect local producers have for their land.

Maria Casanovas, Family Sparkling with Serious Finesse
One of the most exciting names in the region is Maria Casanovas, a family-run winery making elegant, traditional-method sparkling wines. Situated in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the heart of Spanish sparkling wine, they craft wines of gran reserva quality with fine bubbles, remarkable purity, and absolutely no shortcuts.

These are sparkling wines with substance. Organic viticulture, long lees ageing that often exceeds 30 months, and traditional winemaking practices result in wines of great finesse. The Maria Casanovas Brut Nature Gran Reserva is a masterclass in precision and balance. Creamy, dry, mineral, and quietly complex. Think grower Champagne at a fraction of the price.

This is where the narrative of Penedès begins to shift. The region is moving away from industrial Cava and toward serious, terroir-driven sparkling wines.

Xarel·lo, The Soul of Penedes
Forget Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. If you really want to taste the land in your glass, get to know Xarel·lo (pronounced "Cha-rell-lo"). Native to the region, Xarel·lo is incredibly versatile. It can be vibrant and citrusy in young wines, textural and smoky when aged in amphora, and long-lived when crafted with care.

It forms the backbone of most Corpinnat and Cava wines but has more recently become the star in its own right. When treated seriously, Xarel·lo offers a unique profile of saline minerality, white stone fruit, citrus oil, and wild herbs. Imagine Chardonnay with Mediterranean roots and more texture. The best Xarel·lo wines can age like the best of Burgundy. Enric Soler's sublime wines are a testament to this. 

Enric Soler, Xarel·lo for Burgundy Collectors
If Maria Casanovas represents the face of sparkling wines, Enric Soler is the quiet philosopher of still wine. A former sommelier turned winemaker, Soler inherited a small vineyard of ancient Xarel·lo vines in 2004. From this plot, known as Vinya dels Taus, now over 75 years old, he crafts wines of great depth, energy, and longevity.

Soler's wines are radically low-intervention. He favours old barrels or concrete eggs, uses wild fermentations, and limits sulphur additions. His aim is not simply purity, but the transmission of terroir and biodiversity. Young vines are interplanted with the old to preserve genetic diversity, and his vineyard management encourages natural flora and fauna.

For collectors of white Burgundy, Soler’s top cuvée Nun Vinya dels Taus is a revelation. Textural, mineral, and intensely expressive, it proves that Xarel·lo can be every bit as complex and age-worthy as Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet, yet unmistakably Mediterranean.

Pardas, The Sumoll Revivalists

While white grapes like Xarel·lo are thriving, the reds of Penedès are enjoying their own renaissance, thanks in large part to Pardas. Founded by two friends with backgrounds in agronomy, Pardas is known for bringing Sumoll back from near extinction.

Sumoll is an ancient Catalan grape once abandoned due to its difficult growing habits. In the right hands, such as those at Pardas, it reveals a vibrant and soulful personality. Light-bodied yet structured, with flavours of red cherry, dried herbs, and forest floor. Imagine something between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, but sunnier and distinctly Catalan.

Pardas farm organically and biodynamically. They ferment with native yeasts and age their wines in concrete or used oak, allowing the grape and place to shine through. Their Sus Scrofa Sumoll is a standout, offering savoury charm and finesse. They also make superb Xarel·lo wines, including Rupestris, and increasingly work with other native varieties like Malvasia de Sitges and Cartoixà Vermell.

Their work is helping to preserve and celebrate Catalonia’s viticultural heritage.

The Future of Penedes is Organic
What makes the story of Penedès so inspiring is not only the quality of its wines but the ethos behind them. The region's commitment to becoming fully organic by the end of 2025 is bold, progressive, and unprecedented among major wine regions.

This transformation is being driven by a cultural respect for the land. Vineyard owners see themselves as caretakers of history, and they are acting with intention. Chemical pesticides are being replaced with cover crops. Native plants are encouraged to thrive. Vineyards are teeming with life, from wild herbs to bees and moles. Enric Soler even named his vineyard “Austose” in honour of the moles that aerate his soil.

The shift to organic viticulture is not just beneficial for the environment. It is directly improving wine quality. Healthier soils produce more expressive grapes, and the wines show greater depth, energy, and clarity.

Why Now is the Time to Discover Penedès
If you love wines with character, origin, and a story, Penedès should be on your radar. Whether you are drawn to the long-aged sparkling wines of Maria Casanovas, the contemplative still whites of Enric Soler, or the savoury reds of Pardas, there is a quiet brilliance coming out of this small region.

For too long, the wines of Penedès have been hiding in plain sight. That is changing. Visionary winemakers and a region-wide shift to sustainability are turning it into one of Europe’s most exciting wine destinations.

Spain’s best kept secret is ready to be shared.