DO Catalunya adds 60 towns to its production zone, including parts of metro Barcelona
DO Catalunya's production zone grew by 60 municipalities after Spain's official gazette published the change on 15 August 2026, and the new area stretches into Barcelona's metropolitan belt.
The Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi resolved on 31 July 2026 to approve a modification to DO Catalunya's pliego de condiciones, and the decision ran in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 15 August 2026 after a two-month objection period closed with no complaints filed. The change adds 60 municipalities to the designation's production zone: 44 join without overlapping any other DO, 16 now coexist with other Catalan denominations, and 17 towns that were only partially inside the zone are fully folded in.
The new territory runs from the Terres de l'Ebre up to the Pyrenees, taking in Ponent, the Girona comarques, Central Catalonia, Camp de Tarragona, and Barcelona's metropolitan area. Named additions close to the city include Cerdanyola del Vallès, Molins de Rei, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Terrassa, per the same reporting. Producers based in those towns can now bottle under the DO Catalunya label once they meet the designation's requirements.
DO Catalunya is the broadest of Catalonia's wine designations, and press coverage of the change notes it already accounts for more than half of all bottled Catalan wine. The Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi's director general, Joan Gené Albesa, signed the resolution in Vilafranca del Penedès, the body's home base in the heart of Penedès wine country.
Frequently asked questions
What changed for DO Catalunya's production zone in August 2026?
The Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi approved adding 60 municipalities to DO Catalunya's production zone, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 15 August 2026. Of those, 44 join without overlapping another DO, 16 now coexist with other Catalan designations, and 17 previously partial municipalities are fully integrated.
Does the DO Catalunya expansion reach Barcelona?
Yes. Press reporting on the change names municipalities in Barcelona's metropolitan area, including Cerdanyola del Vallès, Molins de Rei, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Terrassa, among the newly added towns.
Who approved the change and when?
Joan Gené Albesa, director general of the Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi, signed the resolution in Vilafranca del Penedès on 31 July 2026. It was published in Spain's official gazette on 15 August 2026 after a two-month opposition period closed with no objections filed.
How significant is DO Catalunya as a wine designation?
It's Catalonia's broadest wine denomination. Coverage of the August 2026 expansion notes DO Catalunya already accounts for more than half of all bottled Catalan wine.