Calatayud is a Spanish
Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the southwestern corner of the province of
Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
(
Aragón,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
) about 90 km from Zaragoza and covers over 5,600 ha, extending over 46 different municipalities, including Calatayud itself. It borders with the
Cariñena (DO) in the east and with the province of
Soria
Soria () is a municipality and a Spanish city, located on the Douro river in the east of the autonomous community of Castile and León and capital of the province of Soria. Its population is 38,881 ( INE, 2017), 43.7% of the provincial populatio ...
in the west. It is in the
Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
River valley and is crisscrossed by many of the Ebro's tributaries including the
Jalón,
Jiloca,
Manubles,
Mesa (river),
Piedra and
Ribota. The vineyards are found on the south facing slopes of the Sierra de la Virgen range at heights of between 550 m and 800 m above sea level.
Climate
The climate is
continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne
* Continen ...
(hot dry summers and cold winters), the mean annual temperature does not exceed 13 °C, and there is a good probability of frost during six months of the year. The mean annual rainfall is between 300 mm and 500 mm per annum.
Soils
Most of the vines are planted in soils that are stoney, loose, very poor in nutrients and with a high lime content. The permeability is good so the roots are able to obtain the water and nutrients they require.
Authorised Grape varieties
The authorised grape varieties are:
* Red:
Garnacha Tinta,
Tempranillo,
Mazuela,
Monastrell,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot
Merlot ( ) is a dark-blue-colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of , the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color ...
,
Bobal, and
Syrah
Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse ...
* White:
Macabeo,
Malvasía,
Moscatel de Alejandría,
Garnacha Blanca,
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...
,
Sauvignon Blanc, and
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer () is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and which performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz ( ; although this is never the case in German, because mean ...
References
External links
DOP Calatayud official website
Wine regions of Spain
Appellations
Wine classification
Calatayud
Geography of the Province of Zaragoza
Aragonese cuisine
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