Wine of Spain
Spain is a country of breathtaking landscapes, a vibrant history and a deep, complex culture in which wine has played a prominent role for centuries. Spanish Wine Grape vines have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 BC. However, serious winemaking did not begin here until around 1000 BC, when Phoenician traders brought winemaking skills from the eastern Mediterranean.
Geography and climate play a decisive role in shaping the style of all the main wines of Spain. The country's landscape is very diverse: from cold and green Galicia with the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north, through the arid plains of the central part - to the sandy and sunny southern Andalusia. The country stretches at 7 degrees latitude, occupying a width of 800 kilometers of land between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
Between these two very different coasts, the landscape is crossed by equally different mountain ranges, each with its own specific influence on the regional climate. The Cantabrian Cordillera, for example, creates a striking contrast between the lush northern part on the Atlantic side and the dry, sparse southern side - the territory of Castile and Leon.
Among the mountain peaks and plateaus, the rivers are born, on which many of Spain's vineyards depend.
Their importance lies not only in their role as sources of critical water, but also in the impact they have on local soils and mesoclimates. The most important "wine" rivers in Spain are: the Miño, Duero, Tajo, Guadiana and Ebro. The first four flow west and flow into Portugal, where they become the Minho, Douro, Tejo and Guadiana rivers. The Ebro flows east and remains Spanish throughout its length, crossing several important wine regions. Descending from the Cantabrian mountains, the Ebro flows through Castile and Leon, the Basque Country, Navarre, Rioja and Aragon, ending its journey on the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia.
Since the climate, geology and topography of Spain are varied, the styles of wines produced in the country vary.
The cool "far north" and northwest produce light, crisp white wines, typical examples of which are the wines of Rias Baixas and especially Txakoli.
In the warmer and drier regions to the south, inland - in Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Bierzo - medium-bodied red wines with a fruity bouquet are more typical.
Closer to the Mediterranean coast is the territory of fuller-bodied and powerful reds (Jumilla), with the exception of highland areas, where lower temperatures and humidity allow the production of lighter reds, and especially sparkling whites (Cava). Sherry is difficult to classify into any climate group, since it is a separate type of wine, where the leading role is played by the winemaker and the production methods, and not by the climate.
Grape Varieties in Spanish Wines
The range of wine varieties in Spain is not as crazy as, for example, in Italy, and varieties are not in such focus here. Only recently have Spanish winemakers begun to practice variety-oriented winemaking and marketing. Several hundred grape varieties are used to varying degrees in Spanish wineries, but the vast majority of wines are made from a relatively small set of them. The main red varieties (in descending order of planting area): Tempranillo (Tinto del Pais), Bobal, Garnacha (Grenache), Monastrell (Mourvedre). The main white varieties: Airén, Viura (Macabeo), Palomino, Albariño. Tempranillo, which has a number of local synonyms, occupies a leading place both in terms of wine quality and quantity. It accounts for over 20% of the country's total vineyards and dominates or is included in most of Spain's most renowned wines (primarily Rioja, Toro and Ribera del Duero).