Spotlight on Spain: Andalucía
Spotlight on Spain: Andalucía
We’re excited to continue the 🌍🍷 “Wines of the World Series” with a spotlight on Spain, exploring its key regions and varieties with resources from Foods and Wines from Spain. Today, we are focusing on the ancient regions of southwestern Spain, home to famed fortified wines and some other surprising discoveries: Andalucía.
📖Andalucía key facts:
This part of Spain has been planted to vineyards for nearly 3,000 years, with the exception of the Moorish domination period (711–1492), when winemaking was discouraged.
The Mediterranean climate with some Atlantic influences, mild average temperatures, long sunshine hours, and minimal frost creates rather optimal conditions for winegrowing.
Over 70% of vineyards fall under one of its six Denominaciones de Origen: DO Condado de Huelva, DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, DO Málaga, DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, DO Montilla-Moriles, and DO Sierras de Málaga
There are also 16 wines with geographic designation (Vinos de la Tierra) and 1 VC (Vino de Calidad) area, Lébrija
Andalucía’s claim to fame is Sherry, fortified wine crafted predominantly with Palomino Fino, although Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez are also used in certain styles. Made with an array of production methods, the Sherry category ranges from bone-dry Fino to rich, unctuous Cream.
Palomino is also used to craft exciting non-fortified, flor-aged white wines that are making waves globally.
Fortified wines dominate the Andalucía production, with some hailing from the arid plateau around Córdoba and Jaén, where grapes are often so rich in natural sugar that wines do not require fortification
In the Málaga area, sweet wines released under DO Málaga were traditionally made by sun-drying grapes, mainly Moscatel de Alejandría. Today, the region produces a range of sweet wines, from vino dulce natural (using arrested fermentation) to vino naturalmente dulce (late harvest). Dry wines from the same production area are released under the DO Sierras de Málaga.
Red wines from VT Cádiz are also ones to watch, made with Tintilla de Rota (Graciano) or blends of other Spanish and international grapes.
Source: Foods and Wines from Spain
🔎Did you know?
It was from the Sherry town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda where the first trip around the world took place in 1519, led by the Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Jerez bodegas are deliberately built on the coast or on raised ground to catch the morning sea breezes and humid ocean winds — both essential to the development of the flor yeast that defines fino and manzanilla Sherry.
Since the late 1990s, the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Granada have become home to some fine wine estates, situated on some of the highest vineyards in Europe. Spanish and international varieties do well here, but the indigenous Vijiriego is one to watch.
🎓Want to learn more?
💬Share your thoughts!
Have you ever visited Andalucía? What are some of your favourite Sherry styles? Have you ever tried the fashionable unfortified Palomino? Share your thoughts!