From historic landmarks to regions with grape varieties and inspiring wine lists, here’s a short guide for Spain for those who are in the process of training.
1. A very old World
It is believed that the history of wines production in Spain is to at minimum 3000 years. It is believed that vines were being grown in the country well before Cadiz was founded as a trading station in 1100 BC.
2. Area under vine
Spain is the biggest vineyard area among all the major wine-producing countries around the globe, covering approximately 96,000 ha. This amounts to 13 percent of all the vineyards in the world. The numbers show that Spain is an excellent location to grow grapes due to its geographic place of origin as well as the variety of soils and climate conditions.
Click here for Spanish wine history.
3. The Big Three
Italy, France and Spain are the three most important wine producing nations. As per the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Spain produced 40.7 milliliters of wines in the year 2020. It together with Italy and France is responsible for 53% of the world’s wine production.
4. The principal regions
Castilla La Mancha is the region that has the biggest vineyard in Spain. It also holds the distinction of being the biggest wine-growing region worldwide, with more than 700,000 acres committed to vineyard cultivation. There are many other Spanish regions recognized for their high-quality vineyards as well as wine-making, like Catalonia, La Rioja and Andalusia.
5. Grape varieties to test
Spain has more than 600 varieties of grapes, however, around 20 varieties are utilized in the making of the vast majority of wine. White wines are produced by Airen is the most popular. Airen variety is the one most commonly utilized in the production of wine, but the most well-known for their quality grapes is Verdejo as well as Albarino. For red wines, Garnacha is one of the most popular varieties and is a producer of high quality rose and red wines. Additionally, Cencibel, popularly referred to as Tempranillo is a favorite for its full-bodied wines that have strong red hue.
6. The most popular wines to try
Due to the vast knowledge of viticulture and growth of oenology in Spain There are some of the finest wines around the globe. The wines of in the La Rioja region are among the most well-known and well-known. The region’s white and red sparkling wines as well as wines are readily available in Spain and around the world and make up an important portion of Spanish exports of wines. This is due in large part to the exceptional blend of price and quality provided by the variety of wines produced in this region. Therefore, there is something for every person.
7. A wonderful country to eat in for gourmets
Spain is a leader in gastronomy . Many visitors flock to its famous institutions for cooking, such as those at the Basque Culinary Center and Ferran Adria’s elBulli Foundation. Wines play an important role in the world of gastronomy, and now much more so than in the past. Michelin restaurants with star ratings are proof of this. For example Venta, a Michelin-starred restaurant. Moncalvillo received the award for the Best List of Wine List in the International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards Spain 2020. El Cenador de Amos, that has 3 Michelin stars, has an impressive wine menu.
8. Spanish consumption of wine
Spain consumed 9.6 milliliters of wine in 2020. This is a little less than contrast to France who consumed 24.7 milliliters and Italy in which the figure is 24.5 million mhl.
9. Designations of Origin
There are official wine designations in Spain and this includes more than 70 DOs and two DOCas. Two DOCas include Rioja as well as Priorat.
10. Utilize educational resources
Bodegas Ramon Bilbao is one of the most sought-after wines in Spain and is a major reference for Rioja winemaking. For more information about Rioja as well as different Spanish areas and the wines, go to our website.