Spanish Wine
Spanish wine is one of the most internationally renowned today. Spain is the third producing country of wine, and continues being the one that possesses the major extension of vineyard in the world (15 % of the world), and with a wine-growing tradition which... goes back to the Roman age.
The wide variety of soils and existing climates in Spain have generated an extensive range of wines, each one with a few marked characteristics, where the predominant red grape varieties are Tempranillo and Grenache, and Albariño and Verdejo in the white ones.
The most famous regions include Rioja, Ribera de Duero, Priorat, Rueda and Rías Baixas.
The careful growing of the vineyards, along with the careful and increasingly sophisticated technologies of production of the Spanish wines, have supposed that many of them have reached a recognized international prestige.
Classification of the Spanish wine for characteristics of aging:
"Los Vinos de la Tierra"(The Wines of the Terroir) and the VCPRD, initials of Quality wine Produced in a Certain Region, synonymous of wines with denomination of origin recognized by the European Community, can use the following common indications relative to the aging categories:
Noble wine: This expression will be able to be in use for wines subjected to a minimum aging period of 18 months in total in wooden containers of oak with a maximum capacity of 600 liters or in bottle.
Mature wine: They will be the ones subjected to a minimum ageing period of 24 months in total in wooden container of oak with a maximum capacity of 600 liters or in bottle.
Old wine: they are those subjected to a minimum ageing period of 36 months when this aging has had a marked oxidized character due to the action of the light, oxygen, heat or these three factors together.
The still VCPRD will be able to use besides the previous indications, the following ones:
Vino de Crianza:They will be the wines with a minimum aging period of 24 months; at least 6 will be in oak wood of 330 liters of maximum capacity; and for the Whites and Rosé ones with a minimal period of 18 months.
Reserva: They are the red wines with a minimum ageing period of 36 months with at least 12 in wood and the rest in bottle; and the Whites and Rosé ones with a period of 18 months, 6 of them in wood.
Gran Reserva: They are the red wines with a minimum ageing period of 60 months, at least 18 will be in wood; and the Whites and Rosé ones with period of 48 months, 6 of them in wood.
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