Spanish Wine Regions
Spain has a phenomenal wealth and depth in wine making. For this reason the country has been divided in to individual wine regions that are know as Denominaciones de Origen and Vinos de la Tierra. Each one has strict guidelines that are followed to produce outstanding wines. In the map below you can see 27 of those Regions which cover the wine currently on offer on Baileys Wine Merchants.
Although the production of wine in Spain started some 3000 years ago, a craft first learnt from the Phoenicians who started cultivating grapes in what is now known as the golden triangle or Sherry Land, it was the Romans, who dominated Spain, or most of it, from almost 400 years, who really gave Spain the culture of wine that it has kept ever since.
After the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the occupation by the Moors of northern Africa, individual farmers kept the craft alive, possibly trading it with parts of Christian Europe. The development of the wines, however, remained in a period of stasis until the country was reunified and wine became an export commodity in huge demand in the developing Americas.
Today, after 3000 years of experience in the craft, we can enjoy the best of all ages of Spanish wines: nutty, dry olorosos and light, foot-pressed “cosecheros” (locally crafted wines); oaky reds with all the cinnamon depth and raisiny warmth of a long golden autumn; crispy, clean whites and ripe, herby reds with enough freshness and ripe fruit for instant enjoyment; and a new generation of sparkling wines made, of course by the metodo tradicional. All of them strictly quality controlled by the different Consejos Reguladores (control bodies) who oversee the production and quality of all wines baring any of the … Denominacion de Origen (D.O.) that exist in the country.
Rather than using the above map, you may also select a wine region of interest from the list below.
