These are the best wines from the Tarragona DO of 2025.
The Designation of Origin reaches 80 years of age "with optimism" but also with important challenges.
TarragonaIn the midst of a pleasant spring, but with the drought still very much in the memory, the Tarragona DO (Digital Designation of Origin) presented the annual awards for its Wine Competition this Wednesday, and in a rather special context: this year marks the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Tarragona DO.
Taking advantage of this significant anniversary, the awards ceremony served to recall the history of a wine that already seduced the Romans, who in the 1st century AD were already trading it through the port of Tarraco on their way to Rome or Britain, as Ruth Troyano, a journalist specializing in the port, recalled for the occasion.
The speeches from the institutional authorities and the wine sector highlighted "the excellence" of the wines of the Tarragona DO and assured that they are reaching 80 years of age "with profound optimism," in the words of the president of the Regulatory Council of the Tarragona DO, Maria Rosa Blanch. Despite the congratulations, the event also brought up the future challenges of the designation of origin, and one of them has been lingering for many years: ensuring that Tarragona restaurants include DO wines on their menus. After the event, speaking about this issue, a sommelier explained to the newspaper ARA that very often, DO Tarragona wines aren't on restaurant menus because the people of Tarragona themselves don't order them. "It's the tourists who want to taste the wines of the people of Tarragona," he explained, confused.
The Awards
Be that as it may, the commitment to quality among Tarragona winegrowers is bearing fruit, and the winemakers on the Rovira i Virgili University tasting panel, which has been scoring the wines in this competition for 31 years, had a tough time choosing the winners: Cam de Si 2024 from Bodega Pedrola, while first prize for best aromatic white wine went to ISHII 2024 from Cava Vives Ambròs. Cooperatives, as every year, also achieved important distinctions. These wines, which are part of the DO, can be tasted this weekend at the Wine Fair, held in Plaça Corsini in Tarragona. In addition to wines from 14 wineries in four regions of Tarragona, you can also sample the culinary offerings at the Central Market.
