Spanish wine regions, appellations and producers. Catalog-reference book of Spanish wines with reviews and ratings.
Spain is one of the leading countries in European winemaking, one of the three largest wine producers in Europe and offers a wide variety of high quality wines from indigenous and international grape varieties. It ranks first in the world in terms of total vineyard area, and in terms of wine production is second only to France and Italy.
This is a country with a rich wine history. The Middle Ages brought monks from different orders from all over the world to Spain, who played an important role in creating the best places for wine production. Many of the current terroirs developed around this time. A new rise in winemaking came in the second half of the 19th century, when in neighboring France most of the vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera and French winemakers were forced to seek their fortune in northern Spain.
Wine is produced throughout the country due to the unique geography and wide variety of climatic conditions. The excellent climate and numerous beaches attract tourists mainly in the summer season, but wine tourism here is possible all year round and is becoming increasingly popular.
There are more than 70 denominations of origin to classify all Spanish wines in seventeen wine regions, including territories in the islands, the Canaries and the Balearics.