📜 Alella

Alella is a Spanish protected designation of origin (Denominación de Origen) for wines from Catalonia. It has been in the EU register since 13 June 1986.

The single document covers white, rosé and red wines, as well as liqueur wine, quality sparkling wine and semi-sparkling wine. The main varieties listed are Garnacha Tinta, Syrah and Xarello (Pansa Blanca). White wines use white varieties only, while rosés may use all varieties.

Minimum actual alcoholic strength is 10.5% vol for white and rosé wine and 11.5% vol for red. Maximum total sulphur dioxide is 200 mg/l for white and rosé and 150 mg/l for red. Liqueur wines include rancio, made from Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo or Garnacha Negra with oxidative ageing in oak for at least one year, as well as mistelle and natural sweet wine. Quality sparkling wine is made by the traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle and nine months of ageing from tirage to disgorging.

Maximum yields are 12,000 kg of grapes per hectare (78 hl/ha) for white varieties and 10,000 kg per hectare (60 hl/ha) for red. Vines are trained as goblet or on trellis, and irrigation is allowed only to improve grape quality, strength and acidity. Bottling must take place in registered bottling cellars.

The demarcated area lists municipalities including Alella, Mataró, Badalona, Premià de Mar, Vilassar de Mar and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. The specification describes a granite subsoil with sea traces and well-drained, finely grained surface soil.