Spain is the country of the longest wine making tradition.
The oldest archeological evidence, dating back to many centuries before the Christ, shows that the vine was grown there long before the Roman Empire.The pioneers of the wine industry were the Fenicians, famous for their achievements in sailing and trade. Greek expansion marks another stage in spreading the culture of wine drinking in Spain. It was under the Romans rule though, that the growth of winneries was most significant, as the system of wine classification was introduced for the first time.
The end of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Arabian rule in Spain brought the most difficult period for Spanish wine that was prohibited by the Koran law. Thus, the majority of wineries were destroyed leaving only a few cultivations out,mainly in the heart of Spain, Valdepenas that is a small part of the large La Mancha region. The name La Mancha comes from the Arabian expression Al Mansha, meaning “waterless land”. This is because Spanish climate is very dry and thus excellent for vine cultivation. High temeperatures combined with a small amount of annual rainfall help the grapes mature so well that excellent sweet wines as well as top quality dry wines,with the higher than anywhere else natural alcohol content and minerals concentration, can be produced there.The wines also owe their special quality to the country’s soil rich in calcium,magnesium,silicon and iron.All these factors make the country famous for its sherry,fondillon,malaga,excellent sweet whites from Valencia,exquisite reds from La Mancha and quality, aging in oak casks Crianza and Reserva wines from Valdepenas,Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorat, and finally the fine sparkling wine known as “cava”.
Today’s Spanish wine industry is, next to citrus fruit and olives, main branch of agriculture in this country. La Manch winneries alone makes up the largest area of vine cultivation in the world, with over 9 % of the global and over 22 % of the European wine production.
The quality of Spanish wines is certified and awarded on many annual international Vinexpos.
Spanish wines offer history and tradition, which is combined with modern winemaking technology to produce vintages of unique character.Both the novice and the connoisseur will find delight in the wines of Spain.
