Spain

Spain is the country that has the largest land covered by vines, producing the 35 to 45 million hectoliters of wine each year. It is ranked the 3rd largest wine producer. It is an old world wine country, but the wine industry only started boosting in late 20th and early 21st century. In the 70th of last century, Spanish wines had a very bad reputation for its quality. With recent new investments and wine law establishment, Spain is becoming more and more pronounced for its fine wines. Wine from Spain has its own soul, most of their well-known wine types are made of the indigenous varieties. With the aid of new world flying winemakers, the returned Spanish Protégée from France and new investments, the vineyards are now well looked after, the wineries equipments are changed and winemaking technologies and practices are evolved.

Some useful Spanish wine label terms:

Bodega: winery – also equivalent to Chateaux in French
Cosecha: vintage year
Crianza: Red wine must have spent two years in winery, with minimum 6 months in oak after the vintage
White and rose must be at least one year old
Reserva: Red wine must have spent three years in winery, with minimum one year in oak after the vintage.
White and Roes must be aged for two years, with a minimum of six months in oak.
Gran Reserva: Red wine must have spent 5 years in the winery, with a minimum two years in oak.
White and Rose must be aged at least four years, with at least six months in oak.
Joven: Wine release the next year after vintage, normally no oak aged or very short oak aged
Blanco: white wine
Rosado: rose wine
Seco: dry
Tinto: red wine
Vendimia: vintage harvest
Vina, vinedo: vineyard

Spain produces all sorts of types of wines, from sparkling via table wine to fortified wine. The styles and grape varieties used are very different of each other.