In 1975, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the Empordà-Costa Brava Designation of Origin for Empordà wines ( Order of 19th May 1975, published in the Spanish Official State Gazette (BOE) no. 153 on 27th June). This was an official recognition that, after many years of work, the wines had achieved the levels of quality and prestige required to compete in the wine market with wines from other DO areas.
This was a longstanding goal of the winemakers of the district, who commenced the DO legal registration process in the early 60s; the unfailing resolution of the winemakers and bottlers of the area was decisive in this process.
The Empordà Designation of Origin was approved with Order ARP/63/2006, on 16th February, that was published in the Official Journal of the Generalitat of Catalonia (DOGC) no. 4585 on 3rd March 2006, in accordance with the Catalonian Vinicultural Act.
The Control Board, in charge of ensuring that rules and regulations for production and winemaking processes are implemented, guarantees the origin and quality of Empordà DO wines. It also promotes technical research with a focus on improving the quality of winemaking.
Likewise, the Control Board carries out important marketing activities for the DO wines, such as the wine harvest Fiesta de la Vendimia del Empordà, the yearly wine fair in Empordà that is held at the start of September in Figueres, etc. These activities seek to promote the presence of Empordà wines at gastronomic, cultural and tourism events.
