Perhaps better-known for its Cava production (a sparkling wine which has had its own Denominación de Origen since 1986) white grape varieties predominate, although the region also produces some highly regarded, oak-aged reds.

The region did not escape the pan-European devastation of the phylloxera plague, one effect of which was a large-scale change in the predominant grape types from red to almost exclusively white, which in turn led to the first Cava production in the 1870s.

Whereas a largely Mediterranean climate prevails, the Penedès enjoys a wide variety of microclimates, due to the proximity of the coast and a varied terrain ranging from sea level to over 800 metres (2,600 ft).

While the more typical Spanish black grapes (Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena, among others) are found in the hot and humid coastal plains, as the land rises whites become increasingly common.

Other notable houses include Pinord, Jean León, and Masia Bach, alongside more well-known Cava producers like Freixenet, Juvé y Camps and Codorníu.