Wines of Spain

In Spain, viticulture was introduced by the Phoenicians, developed by the Greeks and structured by the Romans. Despite the barbarian invasions that undermined it, Spanish vineyards were preserved, even under Moorish occupation. Of course, the "Reconquista" and the opportunities offered by the new colonies facilitated the resumption of vineyard expansion. Phylloxera in the 19th century and civil war in the 20th century were undoubtedly the hardest blows to Spanish viticulture. Finally, it's only in the last fifty years that the Spanish wine industry has been reorganized, thanks in particular to the return to democracy andSpain 's entry into the European Union.

Spanish vineyards now cover a surface area of almost 1,100,000 hectares, spread across all regions of the country. This makes it the world's largest vineyard in terms of surface area, even though it has shrunk considerably in recent years. Most of the vineyards benefit from a Mediterranean climate, with a small proportion of the land planted in a more oceanic climate, in the west of the country, such as Galicia and south-west of Seville. The best vineyards are located on plateaus between 500 and 800 m above sea level, where the sun is less powerful and nights are cooler.

Spanish wine is protected by some sixty designations of origin(Denominacíon de Origen and Denominacíon de Origen Calificada), themselves grouped into 12 production regions whose winegrowers can claim origin, in the absence of an appellation contrôlée, as is the case with vins de pays in France. The most famous appellations d'origine are undoubtedly those of Rioja, Ribera del Duero and, of course, Jerez (Xérès). Grape varieties have retained their identity and are mainly Grenache, Tempranillo, Monastrell, Carignan or Merlot for red wines, and Macabeux, Grenache blanc, Malvoisie, Palomino and Parellada for white wines.

Discover Spain's estates: Luis Canas, Vega Sicilia, Enate, Exopto, Borsao, Aalto

Discover also the Spanish appellations: Tierra de Castilla, Cava, Campo de Borja, Jumilla, Carinena, Navarre, Baixas, Somontano.