Wine General Discussion

We’re excited to continue the 🌍🍷 “Wines of the World Series” with a spotlight on Spain. In the upcoming weeks, we will be exploring this traditional yet forward-thinking country that is sure to challenge some preconceptions. The bulk of juicy facts and figures comes from Foods and Wines from Spain, complemented by some stats from the OIV and other sources. This spotlight will cover Spain’s essentials, grapes to know, regions to explore and more. 

📖 Spain key facts

• It has more land under vine than any other country in the world (with 930,000 ha registered in 2024) and one of the three largest wine producers (coming in third in 2024 at 3.2 billion litres)*

• Spain’s wine history goes back over 3,000 years, featuring seafaring Phoenicians, a variety of Iberian tribes, as well as ancient Greeks and Romans along the way

• Its modern winemaking chapter starts in the second half of the 20th century, although the first appellations (DOs) were founded as early as 1932

• The country’s Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) include Denominaciones de Origen (DOs), Vinos de Calidad and Vinos de Pago, while Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) are mostly expressed as Vinos de la Tierra.

• Spain boasts 235 recognised grape varieties, suitable for winemaking, of which 150 are indigenous. However, there are at least 350 more to recognise and classify!

• From the high mountains of the Pyrenees to the warm plains of Andalusia, it is a country, it is a country of varied landscapes, microclimates and soil types.

• Even in its warmest corners, grapevines get a break from heat due to the altitude: Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, which explains its numerous Sierras (mountain ranges) and large elevated plateaus

• It has one of the most ancient soils on Earth; soil types vary greatly across regions.

  *According to the 2024 OIV statistics.

Spanish Protected Designations of Origin. (Source: Foods and Wines from Spain)

🔺Spain's "mains":

• Based on the climate and growing environment, Spain can be divided into 7 distinct wider areas: Andalusia,  Duero River Valley, Ebro River Valley, Green Spain, The Islands, Mediterranean Coast, and The Meseta

• Regions to remember: Jerez, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Rioja, Rías Baixas, Valdeorras, Canary Islands, Priorat, Montsant, Penedès, Empordà, Gredos

• The top five planted varieties in 2024 were: Tempranillo (21%), Airén, Garnacha Tinta, Bobal, and Garnacha Tintorera.

🔎Did you know?

• Spain is the world leader in organic vineyard surface area, with over half of the vineyards grown organically in areas like Catalonia

• National projects such as the “Sustainable Wineries for Climate Protection” seal (94 certified wineries) have been created in addition to the widely adopted global programmes.

• Spain is one of the top three global exporters, and while 55% of Spanish export volume is bulk wine, the trend is the steady growth of bottled wine. 

• The country receives 2.5 million wine tourists annually and is home to 36 official wine routes, ripe for exploring!

🎓Want to learn more?

• Explore the Foods and Wines from Spain website

💬Share your thoughts!

What are some of your favourite Spanish wine regions? How many of them have you visited? And which ones are on your bucket list? What are the top Berlin and Germany spots to try gems from Spain? Let us know!

➡️Coming up: Key Spanish grapes to know