Somontano DOP

Wine region
Somontano DOP in the province ofHuesca in the region ofAragon
Official name	D.O.P Somontano[1]
Type	Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP)
Year established	1984
Country	Spain
No. of vineyards	3,931 hectares (9,714 acres)
No. of wineries	31[2]
Wine produced	184,449 hectolitres
Comments	Data for 2016 / 2017

Somontano is a SpanishDenominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines, created in 1984, and located in thecounty of the same name, in the province ofHuesca,Aragon,Spain. It borders the regions ofSobrarbe andRibagorza in the north,Hoya de Huesca in the west, theMonegros in the south, andLa Litera in the east. Wine production is centred on the town ofBarbastro. The nameSomontano derives from Latin roots meaning “beneath the mountain”. The area spreads out from the foothills of thePyrenees down to theEbro valley. The DOP includes 43 municipalities, most of them in the Somontano area, and a few bordering on Ribagorza and the Monegros. There are over 4000hectares of vines and about 500 individual grape-growers.

The DOP has three different sub-zones: the Mountains, the Somontano foothills proper, and the Plains. TheAlcanadre river divides the Somontano area in two: Somontano de Huesca in the West and Somontano de Barbastro in the East. The vines here enjoy a dark sandy-clay soil, particularly high in lime content and rich in alluvial matter. The soil is not especially fertile, but has good drainage, which facilitates the deep penetration of roots so they can absorb more moisture and nutrients. The region's climate iscontinental, with the Pyrenees mountains buffering exposure to the cold northern winds. Nonetheless, winter freezes are common, as are extremely high temperatures in the summer. Daily temperatures also fluctuate significantly between day and night. Average rainfall is 500 mm.

Grapes have been grown in the Somontano region since antiquity, at least since the 2nd century BC, their cultivation being influenced by the settlement of theRomans, as they introduced more advanced techniques. In theMiddle Ages, the area covered by vineyards expanded to cover the whole province, with wine production prospering under the oversight of local monasteries. More recently, thephylloxera plague which struck France in the 19th century, resulted in exports and increased sales of Somontano wine from the region.

TheRuta del Vino (Wine Route) of Somontano is one of the 13 official wine routes recognised by ACEVIN and the Spanish government, and its aim is to promote wine-related tourism to the region. As a non-profit organisation it offers promotional support to tourism establishments and wineries and offers unbiased information to visitors and tourists.

In addition to wine, other attractions in Somontano include:

The Sierra de Guara National Park - famous for the sport of canyoning

The medieval village ofAlquézar

The River Vero Cultural Park - home to a collection of over 60 cave paintings, jointly declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

TheTorreciudad Shrine - halfway point between Lourdes and theBasilica of Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza on the Marian Route

The city ofBarbastro

Around half of the 31 wineries in Somontano welcome visitors and most can offer guided tours in Spanish, English and French. A visit includes a tour of the installations with explanations, followed by a wine tasting.

The authorised grape varieties are:

• Red:Cabernet Sauvignon,Garnacha Tinta,Merlot,Moristel,Parraleta,Pinot Noir,Syrah, andTempranillo
• White:Alcañón,Chardonnay,Garnacha Blanc,Gewürztraminer,Macabeo,Riesling, andSauvignon Blanc

• Official website

42°2′10″N0°7′35″E / 42.03611°N 0.12639°E /42.03611; 0.12639

• Wine regions of Spain
• Appellations
• Wine classification
• Geography of the Province of Huesca
• Aragonese cuisine

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• Coordinates on Wikidata