Results
2,283 Results
Loading more Results ...
Loading more Results ...
Wine regions in Spain 19 growing regions
Description to Spain
The parliamentary hereditary monarchy of Spain (officially the Kingdom of Spain) with its capital Madrid is a state on the Iberian Peninsula in south-west Europe. The national territory covers 505,970 km² and is divided into 17 autonomous regions. There are borders to the west with Portugal and to the north-east with France, separated by the 430 km long Pyrenees mountain range (in which the dwarf state of Andorra lies). Spain also includes the large archipelagos of the Balearic Islands (with the main island of Majorca) in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands (including Tenerife and Lanzarote) in the Atlantic, as well as the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the North African coast as enclaves in or with a border with Morocco. Several islands located directly off the Moroccan coast also belong to Spain. Viticulture is practised in all regions of the country and also to a greater extent on the Balearic and Canary Islands.
History
Viticulture in Spain has an ancient tradition, as vines were cultivated here at least around 5,000 years ago. The Phoenicians founded the city of Gadir (now Cadiz) around 1100 BC and traded wine extensively in the Mediterranean region. The first heyday came in 200 BC, when the Romans favoured wine from Baetica (Andalusia). This development was halted by the Moorish invasion in 711. For religious reasons, the Muslims cleared large parts of the vineyards or only allowed the production of sultanas. They brought with them the art of distillation, which was not used for alcoholic drinks, but for essential oils, as fragrances and flavourings.
It was not until 700 years later that the Christians succeeded in reconquering the land (Reconquista) and, as they advanced southwards, they planted new vineyards. At that time, there were many kingdoms, including Aragon, Asturias, Galicia, León and Castile. The all-encompassing Kingdom of Spain was then founded in 1516 by Charles I, later Emperor Charles V (1500-1558).
Colonial period
As in many other countries, it was mostly Catholic monastic orders that planted vines near their monasteries for the production of mass wine. In the centuries that followed, viticulture developed into an important economic and export sector. After the discovery of America in 1492 by Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the first colonies were established in the New World. The Spanish conquistadores subsequently planted vines from their homeland in the colonies. Among them was Listán Prieto, which originated from Castile-La Mancha. Under the name Mission (Misión), this became the progenitor of many so-called Criolla varieties, especially in Central America and South America, thus initiating viticulture on this continent.
Modern times
In the second half of the 19th century, as in all European countries, phylloxera invaded Spain and destroyed a large part of the vineyards. However, the Rioja region was spared for the time being and by the time the pest reached this area at the beginning of the 20th century, most of the vineyards had already been planted with grafted vines. The French were no longer able to meet the demand for wine in their own country due to the vineyards destroyed by phylloxera. At first, French merchants bought large quantities of wine in Spain, and later many French winegrowers emigrated to Spain and began cultivating wine. Their sophisticated cellar technology has had a lasting impact on viticulture to this day.
Between July 1936 and April 1939, a civil war broke out between the democratically elected government of the Second Spanish Republic and the right-wing putschists under General Francisco Franco (1892-1975). During this time, vineyards and many wineries were destroyed on a large scale. After the opening of the borders and accession to the European Union in 1986, Spanish viticulture experienced a new beginning. From the 1960s onwards, a great boom began with the typical Spanish wines Rioja and Sherry. Today, Spain is one of the most dynamic wine-producing countries in the world.
Soil & climate
Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. The western mountain ranges are largely made up of metamorphic and crystalline rock. Slate is the most common parent rock of the country's best vineyards. This occurs mainly on the Catalan coast, in the highlands of Priorato, in the Rioja region and in the Douro port wine region. In large areas of the lowlands in the north and east, the parent rock consists of sediments. In the coastal regions, light, sometimes sandy soils dominate. In the sherry region of Jerez, the highly calcareous Albariza soil can be found. The Canary Islands, on the other hand, are of volcanic origin.
The country is criss-crossed by several large bodies of water with a positive influence on viticulture. These are mainly the Ebro and Duero in the north, the Tagus in the west, the Guadiana in the south and the Júcar and Turia in the east. Spain is divided into three main climate zones. In "green Spain" in the north with Aragon, Asturias, the Basque Country, Galicia, Cantabria, Catalonia, Navarre and La Rioja, there is a high level of precipitation with hot summers and cold winters. In the centre is the extensive central plateau of Meseta (tableland) with the regions of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. It is characterised by extremely hot summers, cold winters and low rainfall. The third zone is the coastline with southern Catalonia, the Levante and Andalusia. Here, sea breezes alleviate the hot summers, but there is little rain.
Regions & growing areas
In 1970, a classification system with controlled designation of origin was introduced, modelled on the Italian and French wine laws. The 17 Spanish regions are listed in the table. The DO, DOCa and VCIG areas (quality wines) and IGP areas (country wines) are listed under the regions:
Region (German) |
Region (Spanish) |
Capital city |
Hectares |
Andalusia | Andalucía | Seville | 32.000 |
Aragon | Aragón, cat. Aragó | Saragossa | 34.000 |
Asturias | Asturias | Oviedo | 100 |
Balearic Islands | Islas Baleares, cat. Balearic Islands | Palma | 2.000 |
Basque Country | País Vasco, Basque Country Euskadi | Vitoria-Gasteiz | 13.500 |
Extremadura | Extremadura | Mérida | 80.000 |
Galicia | Galicia, gal. Galicia | Santiago de Compostela | 10.000 |
Canary Islands | Islas Canarias | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 11.000 |
Cantabria | Cantabria | Santander | 100 |
Castilla-La Mancha | Castilla-La Mancha | Toledo | 300.000 |
Castilla y León | Castilla y León | Valladolid (seat of government) | 72.000 |
Catalonia | Cataluña, cat. Catalunya | Barcelona | 52.000 |
Madrid | Madrid | Madrid | 11.500 |
Murcia | Murcia | Murcia | 23.000 |
Navarre | Navarre, Basque Country Nafarroa | Pamplona | 17.000 |
Rioja | La Rioja | Logroño | 60.000 |
Valenciana | Valenciana | Valencia | 58.000 |
Grape variety index
In 2022, the vineyards covered 954,724 hectares and the wine production volume was 35.7 million hectolitres. This makes Spain the world leader in terms of vineyard area. There are over 600 grape varieties, the majority of which are indigenous. A novelty is the Airén, which is almost exclusively found here and has long been the most widely cultivated variety in the world. The grape variety index with the top 50 (Kym Anderson statistics):
Grape variety |
Colour |
Synonyms or Spanish name |
Hectare |
Airén | white | Burra Blanca, Colgadera | 203.276 |
Tempranillo | red | Cencibel, Chinchillana, Tinto del País | 193.597 |
Bobal | red | Moravio, Tinta Madrid | 59.189 |
Garnacha Tinta | red | Grenache Noir, Cannonau | 54.606 |
Monastrell | red | Mataro, Mourvèdre | 41.303 |
Macabeo | white | Viura | 36.963 |
Cayetana Blanca | white | Jaén Blanco, Pardina | 36.252 |
Cabernet Sauvignon | red | - | 20.139 |
Palomino | white | Palomino Fino, Listán Blanco | 20.110 |
Syrah | red | Shiraz | 19.488 |
Alicante Henri Bouschet | red | Garnacha Tintorera | 19.294 |
Verdejo | white | Albillo de Nava | 17.923 |
Merlot | red | - | 12.852 |
Muscat d'Alexandrie | white | Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel Gordo | 9.534 |
Xarello | white | Pansal, Premsal, Xarel-Lo | 8.534 |
Pedro Ximénez | white | Pedro Ximenes, Pero Ximén, PX | 8.528 |
Mencía | red | Jaén du Dão, Loureiro Tinto | 8.489 |
Parellada | white | Montañesa, Montona, Perrelada | 7.137 |
Chardonnay | white | - | 6.866 |
Mazuelo | red | Cariñena, Samsó, Carignan | 5.461 |
Alvarinho | white | Albariño | 5.393 |
Tinto Velasco | red | Tinto de la Pámpana Blanca | 5.369 |
Chelva | white | Chelva de Cebreros, Mantúo, Uva Rey | 5.029 |
Sauvignon Blanc | white | - | 4.562 |
Alarije | white | Acería, Alarije Verdoso, Arin | 4.407 |
Prieto Picudo | red | Prieto Picudo Tinto | 4.293 |
Zalema | white | Del Pipajo, Perruna, Zalemo | 4.015 |
Pardillo | white | Blanca Pequene, Marisancho, Pardilla | 3.283 |
Listán Negro | red | Almuñeco, Listán Morado, Negra Común | 2.847 |
Beba | white | Beba de los Santos, Blanca de Mesa | 2.556 |
Merseguera | white | Esquitxagos, Marisancho | 2.373 |
Graciano | red | Monastrell Menudo, Moristell, Tintilla de Rota | 2.080 |
Garnacha Blanca | white | Grenache Blanc | 2.061 |
Petit Verdot | red | - | 1.804 |
Juan García | red | Malvasía Negra, Mouratón, Négron de Aldán | 1.409 |
Malvasia de Colares | white | Malvasía | 1.362 |
Muscat Blanc | white | Moscatel Commun, Moscatel de Grano Menudo | 1.350 |
Marufo | red | Brujidera, Crujideiro, Moravia Dulce | 1.316 |
Trepat | red | Bonicaire, Carlina, Trepat Negre | 1.199 |
Negramoll | red | Mollar, Verdejo Negro | 1.149 |
Albillo Mayor | white | Albilla, Pardina, Turruntes | 1.145 |
Welschriesling | white | Borba | 1.064 |
Pinot Noir | red | - | 969 |
Trajadura | white | reixadura Blanca, Verdello Rubio | 942 |
Planta Nova | white | Tortozón | 864 |
Godello | white | Godelho, Prieto Picudo Blanco | 822 |
Perruno | white | Casta de Montúo, Firmissima, Getibi | 745 |
Rojal Tinta | red | Rojal | 736 |
Rufete | red | Tinta Pinheira | 714 |
Cabernet Franc | red | - | 680 |
Wine categories / quality levels
The central body for all quality wines is the INDO (Instituto Nacional de Denominaciónes de Origen), whereby each DO region has its own supervisory authority, the "Consejo Regulador". This is made up of employees from the Ministry of Agriculture, winegrowers, producers, traders and biochemists. With the "Reglamento", this authority defines the authorised grape varieties (and also decides on new plantings), the permitted rootstocks, the yield in hectolitres per hectare, the planting density, the pruning and the winemaking methods(ripening technique, alcohol content, residual sugar, dry extract values). The label is only approved after organoleptic testing of the wines by a committee of the Consejo. In August 2009, the EU wine market regulation came into force for all member states with fundamental changes to the wine designations and quality levels; the new designations are (see also under quality system):
- Vino (formerly Vino de Mesa or table wine) = wine
- IGP (formerly VdlT) = country wine
- DOP = or the alternative designations VCIG, DO, DOCa, Vino de Pago = quality wine
IGP (Indicación Geográfica Protegida)
Country wine with a protected geographical indication. There are a total of 42 IGP areas (country wines).
DOP (Denominación de Origen Protegida)
In the case of quality wines, there are four different categories within the DOP designation, which may continue to be used as traditional designations.
VC or VCIG (Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica)
Quality wine with a protected geographical indication. It applies to wines that do not fully fulfil the DO standard but are above the IGP standard. There are 8 VCIG areas.
DO (Denominación de Origen)
Quality wine with a protected designation of origin. There are 72 DO areas (VCIG and DO).
DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada)
Quality wine with a protected designation of origin. This level was introduced in 1988 (and is roughly equivalent to the DOCG in Italy). It is only awarded to wines from outstanding areas whose production is particularly carefully controlled. Only two areas have been classified so far, namely Rioja in 1991 and Priorato in 2001. Ribera del Duero is mentioned as the next possible candidate.
Vino de Pago(DO) / Vino de Pago Calificado (DOCa)
Quality wine with a protected designation of origin. This designation was introduced in 2003 for vineyards with a special character. They can be located within a DO or DOCa area, but also outside of it. They are usually owned by a single winery. A list of the 23 areas can be found under Vino de Pago.
Quality designations
There are also a large number of traditional designations in connection with winemaking and quality. The most important of these are
Maturity
Traditionally, Spanish wines are only marketed when they are ready to drink. Depending on the type of wine, there are specifications for the ageing time in barrel and/or bottle. Top producers often exceed these deadlines by far. White and rosé wines only have to mature for six months in the barrel and may be marketed one year earlier; there are hardly any Reservas or Gran Reservas. There are the following designations for red wines:
Joven
Young wine that is sold the year after the grape harvest and has only matured briefly (maximum six months) or not at all in the barrel. These are intended for immediate consumption.
Crianza
These wines must be matured for at least 24 months, of which six months in the barrel and 18 months in the bottle.
Reserva
These wines must be aged for at least 36 months, of which at least 12 months must be in the barrel and the rest in the bottle. Reserved for DO and DOCa wines.
Gran Reserva
These wines must have matured for at least 60 months, of which at least 18 months (until 2005 it was 24) in the barrel and the rest in the bottle. Reserved for DO and DOCa wines.
Ageing classification
Irrespective of the regulations for Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, there are designations that may be used depending on the ageing and type of maturation. These are Añejo (24 months), Noble (18 months) and Viejo (36 months). These designations attest to the "better quality" of wines with a higher age.
Label
Among other things, the label indicates the degree of sweetness depending on the residual sugar content (seco = dry, semiseco = semi-dry, abocado = semi-sweet, dulce = sweet) and the type of wine (Clarete = light red wine, Cava = sparkling wine, Tinto = dark wine, Rosado = rosé wine, Generoso = dessert wine).
Map Spain Regions: Foods and Wines
Classified wine producers in Spain 188
find+buy for Spain 111
Recent wines 6128
The most important grape varieties
More information in the magazine
- Paradisiacal times! Tasting: European sparkling wines for the festive season
- Elegant balance between extremes In FocusDO Rueda
- Turnkey vineyards for the holiday finca Interview: Mallorca winemaker Henri Fink
- "Sustainability is part of our family's DNA" Vicky Gonzalez-Gordon of Gonzalez Byass on wine and sherry in climate change
- Montsant More radiant with every step
- The terroir of the Montsant Rocks, mountains and gentle river valleys in the south
- History of viticulture in the Montsant Of Roman amphorae, phylloxera and wine cathedrals
- Discover Montsant Enjoy wine, experience nature, experience culture
- Montsant on the plate Regional specialities between almonds, calçots and Vermouth
- The wineries on the holy mountain of Catalonia The DO Montsant west of Tarragona is experiencing an upswing: many young committed oenologists have discovered the terroir for themselves. Together with the established winemakers, they are placing their wines on the best maps in the world.