Spain is a land of breathtaking scenery, colourful history and a Deep and Complex culture in which wine has Long played an important role. Grapes have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 BC, although it wasn't until 1000 BC that viticulture really began here - a skill brought by Phoenician traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Today, Spain is home to more vineyards than any other country in the world, and its national wine production is exceeded only by France and Italy.
All of Spain's seventeen administrative regions (communidades autónomas) produce wine to some degree, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
The greatest concentration of vineyards is in Castilla-La Mancha, but the finest and most famous wines come from Galicia (Rias Baixas), Catalonia (Cava and Priorat), Andalusia (Sherry), Castilla y León (Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero) and of course Rioja.
Geography and Climate together play a fundamental role in defining the many styles of Spanish wines. From cool Green Galicia and the snowy Pyrenees in the North, through the parched Central plateau, to sunny sandy Andalusia in the South, the Spanish landscape is very varied. The country spans seven degrees of latitude (36°N to 43°N), leaving 500 miles (800 km) between its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
Between these two very different coasts are various mountain ranges, each of which has a particular effect on the local landscape and climate. The Cordillera Cantábrica, for example, creates dramatic contrasts between the lush green land on its northern, Atlantic side and the Dry, dusty Castile and Leon on its southern, inland side.
Among the mountain peaks and plateaus rise the rivers on which so many of Spain's vineyards depend. These are important not only as an indispensable source of water, but also because of their impact on local soils and mesoclimates.
Muscadelle white is a grape variety that originated in France (Bergerac). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by bunches of medium size, and grapes of medium caliber. Muscadelle white can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Armagnac, Provence & Corsica, Rhone valley, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Languedoc & Roussillon.
natural sweet wines from the region of Spain go well with generally quite well with dishes of sweet desserts, blue cheese or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of real chocolate cake, filet mignon with roquefort and port wine or mushroom and bacon cake.
On the nose in the region of Spain often reveals types of flavors of oaky, banana or brown sugar and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, orange zest or cigar. In the mouth in the region of Spain is a powerful with a good balance between acidity and sweetness.
On 19 September 2021, the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge in the island of La Palma, Spain began a massive, three-month long eruption, that was a catastrophic event for this westward island in the Canarias. The volcanic fumes caused breathing problems as well as the cancellation of flights and fruit harvests, including grapes. Despite 7,000 people needing evacuation from the flow of the lava, there was only one fatality during the entire eruption. As the lava flow eventually covered over 1,000ha, mo ...
When I started my nomadic winemaking project, in 2018 at Niepoort Vinhos in Portugal’s Douro region, I had no idea how large a part Spain would go on to play – I certainly never intended to make it the locus of my project. So how did it happen? Yes, there was an element of chance and taking opportunities where they arose. But also, among the talented winemakers to whom I pitched collaborations, I sensed an openness and a readiness to collaborate which seemed particular to Spain. Held in June las ...
Seppeltsfield proprietor and executive chairman Warren Randall said The Oscar Seppeltsfield luxury hotel and accompanying restaurant will be an icon of global importance for South Australia’s wine industry and will become ‘the most desirable epicurean destination for tourists worldwide’. Approval for construction of The Oscar Seppeltsfield was granted by the local Light Regional Council on 1 June, after a heated two-year dispute about the development. The original application to build The Oscar ...
