Spain proves its true greatness when it comes to viticulture. Nationwide, there are over a million hectares under vines. The wine-growing area is therefore significantly larger than in Italy or France.
Nevertheless, winemakers in Spanish regions produce significantly less wine than in other major wine-growing nations.
First-class grape juice and discount wines
In contrast to other wine-growing regions, first-class grape juice thrives in the ancient and sometimes very high-altitude vineyards, but only in very small quantities.
Large quantities of wine, on the other hand, are produced predominantly on the flat plateaus of central Spain.
The juice from these grapes is usually processed for brandies or discount wines.
Spain – a red wine country
This form of mass production contrasts with the great diversity of around 150,000 Spanish winemakers who painstakingly produce a variety of wines by hand.
Spain is known beyond its borders as a red wine country, whose best red wines thrive in wine-growing regions such as Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero. But white wine connoisseurs also get their money’s worth in Spain.
Viticulture in Rioja
The Rioja wine-growing region, located in the north of the country, is one of the most traditional wine-growing regions in Spain, with an area of over 60,000 hectares. This region produces wines of exceptionally good quality that mature over a very long period of time.
Winegrowers benefit from the advantages of a traditional winemaking method, in which top wines are aged in barriques.
One of the most important grape varieties in the region is the Ramon Bilbao Crianza, the single-variety Tempranillo from Rioja. In addition to Tempranillo, Rioja is known for wine varieties such as Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo and Viura among white wines. The most important wine-growing regions in Rioja are Fuenmayor, Haro, Briones and Labastida.
The Priorat growing region
The Priorat wine region covers approximately 1,700 hectares and is located in the hills of the Serra Montsant in Catalonia. The Spanish red wine region is primarily known for its high-alcohol and very storable wines. A big advantage is the slate soil, which gives the wines a high degree of minerality.
The most commonly planted grape varieties are red Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. In addition, some white wine varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Macabeo or Garnacha Blanca thrive in the region. Some of the most famous wine-growing regions from Priorat are Bellmunt, Gratallops and La Morera.
Features of Ribera del Duero
This wine-growing region is at home in the middle east of the Castile-Léon region. The Duero River flows through the area. In total, Ribera del Duero has a vineyard area of around 20,000 hectares.
The best known and most important grape variety is Tempranillo.
In the wine-growing region, Tempranillo produces wines that are among the best of their kind in the world. Winemakers in the region also grow other types of wine such as Merlot, Albilla, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and Malbec. Most of the vineyards are located in the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Valladolid and Segovia.
Penedès in the heart of Catalonia
The Penedès wine-growing region is considered the most important wine-growing region in Catalonia – with a total area of around 27,000 hectares. Important wine-growing regions are Alt Penedès, Mitja Penedès and Baix Penedès. Over 100 different wines are grown in the wine-growing region.
But some of the most important red wine varieties are Tempranillo, Monastrell, Garnacha and Pinot Noir. Among the white wine varieties, Chardonnay, Parellada, Muscat d’Alexandrie and Macabeu stand out. White wine varieties even make up the larger proportion in Penedès.
Andalusian wine from Jerez
The Jerez wine-growing region, located in Andalusia in southern Spain, surrounds the city of Jerez de la Frontera. With a vineyard area of around 10,000 hectares, the wine-growing region is primarily known for sherry.
The fortified white wine achieves an alcohol content of more than 20% vol. and covers a comprehensive taste spectrum from dry to sweet.
The grape varieties Palomino, Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel de Alejandria are permitted in Jerez to make the drink. Winemakers use Palomino as the base wine, which they mix with other types of wine such as Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel de Alejandria. Due to their high alcohol and sugar content, sherries also store very well.
Traditional viticulture in Yecla
The Yecla wine-growing region, located in the Spanish region of Murcia, only has around 5,000 hectares of planted vineyards. But because phylloxera never caused any major damage in Yecla, some ancient vines thrive in the region.
Leading red wine varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Monastrell, Merlot and Tempranillo. White wine varieties are clearly in the minority, but are still represented with grape varieties such as Macabeo or Airén.
2023-12-10 07:49:23