Home to the world’s largest vineyard area, Spain boasts a winegrowing history that is ancient and discontinuous. Several events throughout its three millennia of viticulture have threatened the industry, including the Moorish conquest of Iberia, the phylloxera crisis, a devastating Civil War, and several decades under a fascist regime, during which winemaking customs lost favor to bulk production and cooperatives. Today, Spain’s languages, cultures, and food and wine traditions remain distinct—long after the country's unification in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
Spain’s heritage styles—its deep-hued rosados, nutty rancios, and slowly aged gran reservas—are now joined by more contemporary aesthetics. While some growers have adapted to a modern palate, others hold to tradition. Others still seek to reimagine classic Spanish wines for the 21st century, reclaiming indigenous grape varieties and marrying innovation to ancestry. Born from these varied philosophical approaches is a Spanish wine industry equipped with the diversity and talent to capture new generations of consumers while safeguarding a long-cherished identity.
Anthropological studies have found trace evidence of Vitis vinifera in Spain dating as early as 3000 BCE. Fragments of vine wood and other vestiges of ancient grapes have been identified at three sites in Southern Spain. The introduction of viticulture to Iberia, however, is widely attributed to the Phoenicians, who arrived and established what would become Cádiz in today’s Andalucía approximately
Hey, Trevor! This is not an inconsistency; these are the dates of the group's growth within context. 2015 saw the original six producers form the association; in 2017, the EU ratified the group; in 2019, the first wines were released; and they officially left Cava DO.
I am noticing an inconsistency on Corpinnat throughout our guides and compendium. Here, it is stated in the sidebar 'DO Defectors' "The 2019 establishment of Corpinnat",Spain compendium lists "Corpinnat (L'Associació d'Elaboradors i Viticultors Corpinnat) est. 2017", and then again in 'Other Catalan Sparkling Labels' interior to the compendium we see "In 2015, six producers formed the Association of Wine Producers and Growers Corpinnat, or Corpinnat, meaning “heart of Penedès.”. Thank you!
Hey, Anthony! Per the Pliego, the chart is correct. "dieciocho meses en el caso de los vinos blancos y rosados." (Page 10, Seection C)
The chart which has the aging requirements for Rioja is incorrect. The chart states 18 months total aging for white and rose, but the current laws state that blanco/rosados are two years, the same as Blanco/Rosado reservas. The difference being that reservas must show primary, secondary, and tertiary characteristics (Fruit, Oak, Aging) whereas Crianza only needs to show primary and secondary characteristics (Fruit, Oak) Classification - Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja
Also, the Consejo Regulador site mentions the first DO's were awarded in 1932, but it does not necessarily say Cariñena was one of the first regions awarded."En 1932, coincidiendo con la creación de las denominaciones de origen se inaugura la Estación Enológica de Cariñena, desde donde se impulsan nuevas técnicas de cultivo y elaboración, pero la Guerra Civil y sus posteriores consecuencias retrasan el giro hacia la calidad hasta los años setenta, poco después de que los vinos comenzasen a ser embotellados."
According to [Evans MW, Sarah Jane. The Wines of Central and Southern Spain: From Catalunya to Cádiz (The Classic Wine Library) (p. 205). (Function). Kindle Edition.] The first DO's were La Mancha, Valdepeñas, and Huelva, in 1932. Cariñena was the earliest of Aragón’s DOs, was only founded in 1960. [Evans, Sarah Jane. The Wines of Northern Spain: From Galicia to the Pyrenees and Rioja to the Basque Country (The Classic Wine Library) (p. 381). (Function). Kindle Edition.] Could you please clarify?
New Vino de Pago Tharsys since October 2025
Hey, Beatrice! DO Pagos are single-estate appellations that the producer can exclusively use. That being said, producers are welcome to make wines in other appellations as long as they are within the designations and follow the rules. It is quite common for Vino de Pago producers to do this. Outside of their own DO pago, Chozas Carrascal makes wines under the DOs of Cava and Utiel-Requena.
Hello, is it true that Chozas Carrascal can use DO Cava within the Vino de PAgo?
Spanish Wine Scholar lists these 3 as Vinya Classificada:1. Coma Blanca (Mas d'en Gil)2. Clos Fontà (Mas d'en Gil)3. Clos MogadorAnd with some hunting I also discovered:4. Coma de Cases (Mas Doix)