Alella is a Spanish wine appellation (Denominación de Origen D.O. or Denominació d’Origen in Catalan) located in the autonomous community of Catalonia, on the North-eastern Mediterranean Coast of Spain.
More precisely, the appellation covers wines produced in the Maresme county.
The D.O. Alella is much more than just wineries and wines. Very close to the Mediterranean coast, it is the smallest D.O. in Spain.
Eight producers share the 300 hectares of agricultural soil in the area.
17 of these 300 ha (740 acres) of them belong to the Alta Alella winery.
With a Mediterranean climate, warm summers and mild winters, rainfalls are relatively low, around 600 mm per year. Humidity is high though.
The area comprises a distinctive sandy soils of granitic in origin called Sauló.
This soil is essentially a white granite-based sand which is very porous and retains heat very well. This helps the ripening of the grapes, while the draining and low water retention properties are compensated by the local humid microclimate from the proximity of the sea.
The influence of the sea allows to temper the summer heats. Resulting wines have good acidity, minerality and freshness.
Time ago, Alella was the summer resort for the Catalan upper-class.
Wine has been grown in the area since Roman times (III century B.C) and, in its beginnings was controlled by the socalled Barcino families, who even supplied the court of Aragon. They were the first well-known bottled white wines, and maximum success was reached during the nineteenth and the beginnings of the twentieth century, when the wines and Cavas of the D.O. were considered as the bourgeoisie’s favourites.
This region page was developed in collaboration with a prominent winery of the Alella D.O.: Alta Alella – Privat
Header Image is Exclusive copyright of Alta Alella