From historical landmarks to regions that are awash in grape varieties, to inspiring wine lists, here’s a short guide for Spain for students in training.
1. A very old World
It is believed that the history of wines production in Spain goes back to at minimum 3000 years. It is believed that vineyards were in cultivation throughout the country before Cadiz was founded as a trading post around 1100 BC.
2. Area under vine
Spain is the biggest vineyard area among all the major countries that grow vines around the globe, covering about 96,000 ha. It is about 13 percent from the total vineyards. According to the statistics, Spain is an excellent location for grapes to be grown due to its geographic position as well as its variety of soils and climate conditions.
3. The Big Three
Italy, France and Spain are the three biggest wine producing nations. As per the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), Spain produced 40.7 million mhl of wines in the year 2020. It together with Italy and France is responsible for 53% of all world wine production.
4. The principal regions
Castilla La Mancha is the region that has the biggest vineyard in Spain. It is also the largest region for wine production in the world, boasting more than 700,000 acres of land dedicated to the cultivation of vines. There are many other Spanish regions identified by their top-quality vineyards along with wine making, like Catalonia, La Rioja and Andalusia.
5. Grape varieties to test
Spain hosts about 600 varieties of grapes, however, around 20 varieties are utilized in the making of the vast majority of wine. White wines are produced by it is believed that the Airen variety is one of the most utilized in the production of wine, but the most well-known for their quality wine include 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. In addition, Cencibel – popularly referred to as Tempranillo is a favorite for its full-bodied wines that have strong red hue.
6. Wines that are popular to try
With the wide-ranging knowledge of viticulture as well as the advancement of oenology within Spain You can discover some of the most exquisite wines around the globe. The wines from La Rioja region. La Rioja region are among the most sought-after and well-known. The region’s white and red sparkling wines and wines are available in Spain and around the world and comprise an important portion of Spanish exports of wines. This is due to the outstanding blend of price and quality provided by the variety of wines that are produced in the region. Therefore, there is something for all.
7. A wonderful country to eat in for gourmets
Spain is the leader in gastronomy . Many tourists visit its famed 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 illustrate this. For instance Venta, which is a Michelin-starred restaurant. Moncalvillo received the award for the Best 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. It’s a bit less in contrast to France who consumed 24.7 milliliters and Italy where the number is 24.5 milliliters.
9. Designations of Origin
There are official wine designations for Spain which includes nearly 70 DOs and two DOCas. Two DOCas comprise Rioja Priorat and Rioja. Priorat.
10. Make use of educational resources
Bodegas Ramon Bilbao is one of the most revered wineries in Spain and is a major reference for Rioja winemaking. For more information about Rioja as well as the other Spanish wine regions as well as their wines, go to our website.
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