Somontano

("for the County, see: Somontano de Barbastro")----Somontano is a wine producing region, with its own Denominación de Origen (D.O.), created in 1984, and located in the county of the same name, in the province of Huesca, (Aragon). It borders the regions of Sobrarbe and Ribagorza in the North, Hoya de Huesca in the West, the Monegros in the South, and the region of Litera in the East. Wine production is centred around the town of Barbastro.

The name "Somontano", as its latin roots suggest, means “"beneath the mountain"” – this perfectly defines this geographic area which spreads out from the foothills of the Pyrenees down to the Ebro valley.

The D.O. includes 43 municipalities, most of them in the Somontano area, and a few bordering on Ribagorza and the Monegros.

There are over 4000 hectares of vines and about 500 individual grape-growers.

Geography

The geography of the Somontano lends itself to the production of excellent wines.

The D.O. has three different sub-zones: the Mountains, the Somontano foothills proper, and the Plains. The Alcanadre river divides the Somontano area into 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 is continental, with the Pyrenees mountains buffering exposure to the cold northern winds. Nonetheless, winter freezes are common, as are extremely high temperatures in the summer. On a daily basis, temperatures also fluctuate significantly between day and night.Average rainfall is 500 mm.

History

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 the Romans, as they introduced more advanced techniques.

In the Middle Ages, the area covered by vineyards expanded to cover the whole province, with wine production prospering under the oversight of local monasteries.

More recently, the phylloxera plague which struck France in the 19th century, resulted in exports and increased sales of Somontano wine from the region.

Grape Varieties

Authorized grapes belonging to the D.O. include traditional local varieties, as well as other Spanish and foreign ones.

Local varieties:
* Red: Moristel and Parraleta;
* White: Alcañón

Other Spanish:
* Red: Tempranillo and Garnacha Tinta;
* White: Macabeo and Garnacha blanca

Foreign:
* Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir
* White: Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer

External links

* http://www.dosomontano.com/en Official website of the D.O. (in English)