Stories of the wine-growing countries · Spain

Spanish wines

World record: no country in the world has more vineyard area than Spain.

With around 1.2 million hectares, Spain has the largest wine-growing area in the world. In terms of production volume, the country ranks third. Around 5000 wine estates produce the Spanish classics from some 250 grape varieties, above all Tempranillo from Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro. As roughly half the area is planted with white varieties, Spain is also a leader in white wine production.

Vineyard area: approx. 1.2 million ha, world record
Production volume: 3rd place worldwide
Grape varieties: approx. 250
Estates: approx. 5000
Top regions: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro, Priorat, Rueda

01/Spain

The history of wine in Spain

The first vines were already planted in Spain in 2000 BC. Later, winegrowers of the Iberian Peninsula adopted the knowledge and techniques of the Romans. Even when the Moors ruled parts of Spain, winegrowing never came to a halt: because Islam forbade alcohol, wine became a thriving export.

In the 19th century, phylloxera also ravaged Spain; owing to the world wars that followed, wine production only recovered in the mid-1950s.

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Cultivation today

With EU accession, Spanish winegrowing rose sharply. Because of long dry spells, however, yields were never as abundant as in France. Many winegrowers therefore successfully moved their production to the cooler north.

Today, some 5000 wine estates produce Spanish specialities from around 250 grape varieties. In our range: Bodegas Jalón (Rioja), Bodegas Resalte (Ribera del Duero) as well as Maires and Rodríguez & Sanzo (Toro).

03/Grape varieties