The vines of the Penedes region are grown and ripened on the hills of the inland Mediterranean region of Catalonia in the central depression. The Penedes is located in the North-East of Spain.

The Duran wine cellars are located at Castellví de Rosanes, a small town within the Penedes region, some 30 km from Barcelona city.

The Penedes Appellation covers some 1,557 km2 which are divided into three areas, the Lower Penedes, the Central Penedes and the Upper Penedes.

The land of Penedes area is highly varied, although the large part of the region is used for crop growing and shares similar characteristics. The soil is deep, yet neither too sandy nor too heavy in clay, it has excellent permeability and retains rainwater well. The soil is, however, poor in organic material; it is chalky and none-too fertile.

The influence of sun and sea lend The Lower Penedes area a hot, yet comparatively mild climate, one suitable for growing the traditional varieties of cava grapes such as Xarel.lo and Macabeu. In this area we don’t have any vineyards.

The temperatures in this area are somewhat lower than in the previously-mentioned area. On its hillsides Xarel·lo and Macabeu are also cultivated in our own vineyards.

This is the most inland, protected and cooler area, the Upper Penedes, with altitudes of up to 800m (2600 feet) above sea level. This is the best area to grow and where we have the Parellada, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards.

The climate of the Penedes Appellation is typically Mediterranean, one which receives much light and plenty of direct sunlight, the winters are mild and summers are not too hot.

The Penedes Appellation has a wide-ranging diversity of microclimates, in consequence of its proximity to the coast and its altitude, which in our case is highly varied, as some vineyards are located 700 metres above sea level.

Rainfall is moderate in the area and falls throughout the entire year, producing an optimum microclimate for the growing of vines and ripening of the grapes; average rainfall 514 L/metres per square per year. Autumn is the season of maximum rainfall, followed by spring.

The average hours to exposure to sun are 2,500 per year, a figure which is highly favourable for attaining excellent grape ripening.

In The Lower Penedes the average temperature reading is 14.5 ºC, while in the Central Penedes the figure is that of 12 ºC.The area of The Upper Penedes is a typical pre-coastal climate where frosts are more frequent and the contrast between maximum and minimum temperatures is more accentuated.

Minimum temperatures occur in January while the maximum temperature, in July.

The Penedes is sheltered from cold winds; however the region is exposed to the north-westerly and westerly winds of the Mestral and the Ponent, while sea breezes frequently affect the region in summer.