🏷️ DOCa / DOQ
Spain's highest area category; there are only two: Rioja and Priorat.
DOCa, or DOQ in Catalan, is the highest category of Spanish wine. It stands for "denomination of origin with qualification". There are only two such regions: Rioja and Priorat. Rioja was the first to receive the status, in 1991, and Priorat was approved as DOQ in Catalonia in 2000 and confirmed nationally in 2009.
The category is above the ordinary DO, which covers about 70 named wine areas under set rules. DOCa rules are stricter: everything is controlled, from the harvest to bottling. The wine is bottled only in the area, and producers must prove quality.
How does DOCa differ from its neighbours in the system? Below it are DO Spain and Vino de Pago, single estates with their own name. Above them all stands the common system of protected names, PDO.
In Rioja ageing is shown by age categories: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. In Priorat powerful reds are made from Garnacha and Cariñena on slate slopes.
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (wine)
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ Spanish wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Clarete, 🏷️ DO (Spain)
Frequently asked questions
What does DOCa mean?
It is the highest category of Spanish wine: denomination of origin with qualification. Rioja and Priorat have it.
How many DOCa regions are there in Spain?
Two: Rioja and Priorat.
How does DOCa differ from DO?
DOCa rules are stricter: quality control is higher and bottling must take place in the area.
Similar
🏷️ Vino de Pago · 🏷️ Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica · 🏷️ DO (Spain) · 🏷️ DOC (Italy) · 🏷️ OEM (Hungary) · 🏷️ Romanian DOC
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.