🗺️ Spanish wine
The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
Spanish wine is the wine of one of the world's main wine countries. By vineyard area Spain ranks first in the world, although yields per vine are low. Vineyards lie almost all over the country: from Galicia in the northwest to Andalusia in the south, from Catalonia in the east to Castilla y León on the plateau.
Well-known areas include Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Rías Baixas, Jerez, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra, Valencia and the Balearic and Canary Islands. The main red grapes are Tempranillo and Garnacha, and the whites are Albariño, Verdejo and Macabeo. Sherry and sparkling Cava are well known. Spain has an ageing system: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva.
The country includes dozens of areas, with many local grapes among them: Pedro Ximénez, Caetana Blanca, Beba, Prensal, Vijariego, Maturana Blanca, Perruno, Sumoll Blanco and others. Spanish wine belongs to the wines of Europe. It is varied in style, from light fresh whites to dense reds and sweet wines.
What it includes
How it connects to Wine
🗺️ Spanish wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ Wines of Europe
- Native grapes
- 🍇 Mourvèdre, 🍇 Grenache, 🍇 Palomino, 🍇 Tempranillo, 🍇 Macabeo, 🍇 Pedro Ximénez, 🍇 Xarel·lo, 🍇 Airén, 🍇 Bobal, 🍇 Graciano
and 95 more
🍇 Grenache Blanc, 🍇 Godello, 🍇 País, 🍇 Tinta Negra Mole, 🍇 Treixadura, 🍇 Garnacha Roja, 🍇 Mencía, 🍇 Verdejo, 🍇 Parellada, 🍇 Loureira, 🍇 Listán Negro, 🍇 Criolla Chica, 🍇 Trepat, 🍇 Cayetana Blanca, 🍇 Zalema, 🍇 Beba, 🍇 Hondarribi Beltza, 🍇 Prensal, 🍇 Vigiriega, 🍇 Castañal, 🍇 Pichita de Gato, 🍇 Carrasquín, 🍇 Maturana Blanca, 🍇 Perruno, 🍇 Ohanes, 🍇 Sumoll Blanc, 🍇 Albarino, 🍇 Mourvedre, 🍇 Malvar, 🍇 Callet, 🍇 Pardillo, 🍇 Garrido Fino, 🍇 Malvasia di Sardegna, 🍇 Girò, 🍇 Alcañón, 🍇 Borba Blanca, 🍇 Malvasia di Sardegna Rosada, 🍇 Verdil, 🍇 Hebén, 🍇 Ferrón, 🍇 Loureira Tinta, 🍇 Planta Nova, 🍇 Jaén Tinto, 🍇 Vijariego Blanco, 🍇 Giró Blanc, 🍇 Branco Lexítimo, 🍇 Bermejuela, 🍇 Moravia Agria, 🍇 Jaén-Moscatel, 🍇 Escursac, 🍇 Alarije, 🍇 Moristel, 🍇 Pedral, 🍇 Chelva, 🍇 Baboso Negro, 🍇 Listán de Huelva, 🍇 Escanyavella, 🍇 Brancellao, 🍇 Forcallat Tinta, 🍇 Molinera, 🍇 Albillo Mayor, 🍇 Blanca de Monterrei, 🍇 Gran Negro, 🍇 Moravia Dulce, 🍇 Robal, 🍇 Tinta Miúda, 🍇 Breval Negro, 🍇 Castellana Blanca, 🍇 Sumoll, 🍇 Prieto Picudo, 🍇 Lledoner Pelut, 🍇 Albillo, 🍇 Merseguera, 🍇 Parraleta, 🍇 Manto Negro, 🍇 Damaschino, 🍇 Juan García, 🍇 Fogoneu, 🍇 Mandó, 🍇 Trobat, 🍇 Vidadillo, 🍇 Derechero, 🍇 Tempranillo Blanco, 🍇 Carignan Gris, 🍇 Benedicto, 🍇 Agudelo, 🍇 Almeria, 🍇 Garró, 🍇 Sabro, 🍇 Albarín Blanco, 🍇 Breval, 🍇 Lado, 🍇 Rome, 🍇 Doradilla, 🍇 Rojal Tinta - Wines made here
- 🍷 Rosé, 🍷 Clarete, 🍷 Brut nature, 🍷 Extra brut, 🍷 Brut, 🍷 Demi-sec, 🍷 Doux, 🍷 Cava, 🍷 Espumoso, 🍷 Mistelle
and 28 more
🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Fino, 🍷 Manzanilla, 🍷 Amontillado, 🍷 Oloroso, 🍷 Palo Cortado, 🍷 Cream Sherry, 🍷 Pale Cream, 🍷 Medium Sherry, 🍷 Pedro Ximénez Sherry, 🍷 Moscatel Sherry, 🍷 VOS and VORS Sherry, 🍷 En rama Sherry, 🍷 Rancio, 🍷 Málaga, 🍷 Montilla-Moriles, 🍷 Condado de Huelva, 🍷 Fondillón, 🍷 Vermouth, 🍷 Sweet red vermouth, 🍷 Flor wines, 🍷 Amphora wine, 🍷 Natural wine, 🍷 Alcohol-free wine, 🍷 Sangria, 🍷 Tinto de verano, 🍷 Kalimotxo, 🍷 Carbonic maceration - Related to
- 🍷 Traditional method, 🍷 Lees ageing, 🍷 Gyropalette, 🍷 Vino dulce natural
- Classifications
- 🏷️ DOCa / DOQ, 🏷️ DO (Spain), 🏷️ Vino de Pago, 🏷️ Viñedo Singular, 🏷️ Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica, 🏷️ Vino de la Tierra, 🏷️ Barrique, 🏷️ Solera, 🏷️ Criadera, 🏷️ Biological ageing
- Grape products
- 🥃 Brandy de Jerez, 🥃 Orujo, 🥃 Sherry vinegar
Frequently asked questions
What is Spanish wine known for?
The largest vineyard area in the world and areas such as Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Jerez.
Which grapes are main?
Tempranillo and Garnacha for reds, Albariño, Verdejo and Macabeo for whites.
What is Spain's ageing system?
Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, categories based on ageing time.
What to read next
- 🍇 Grenache — A red grape from Spain, where it is called Garnacha; the base of many wines in southern France.
- 🍷 Rosé — Wine from dark grapes kept briefly with their skins, so the colour is pale pink.
- 🍷 Traditional method — A method where wine ferments a second time right in the bottle and gains its bubbles.
- 🏷️ Solera — Rows of casks where wine is drawn from the bottom row and topped up from the younger upper rows.
- 🥃 Brandy de Jerez — A Spanish brandy aged by the solera system in former sherry casks.
Similar
🗺️ French wine · 🗺️ Italian wine · 🗺️ Portuguese wine · 🗺️ Slovenian wine · 🗺️ German wine · 🗺️ Hungarian wine
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.