![]() Little is known about the progress of viticulture and winemaking during this period but there is evidence that some viable form of the wine industry was present when the Moors conquered the land during the early 8th century AD. įollowing the decline of the Roman Empire, Spain was invaded by various barbaric tribes-including the Suebi and the Visigoths. The quality of Spanish wine during Roman times was varied, with Pliny the Elder and Martial noting the high quality associated with some wines from Terraconensis while Ovid notes that one popular Spanish wine sold in Rome, known as Saguntum, was merely good for getting your mistress drunk. Spanish wine was also provided to Roman soldiers guarding border settlements in Britain and the Limes Germanicus in Germania. During this period more Spanish wine was exported into Gaul than Italian wine, with amphorae being found in ruins of Roman settlements in Normandy, the Loire Valley, Brittany, Provence and Bordeaux. The two largest wine-producing regions at the time were Terraconensis (modern-day Tarragona) in the north and Baetica (modern-day Andalucia) in the south. Under Roman rule, Spanish wine was widely exported and traded throughout the Roman empire. See also: Ancient Rome and wine Roman aqueduct built in the Castile and León city of Segovia Major Spanish wine regions include the Rioja and Ribera del Duero, which are known for their Tempranillo production Jumilla, known for its Monastrell production Jerez de la Frontera, the home of the fortified wine Sherry Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Galicia that is known for its white wines made from Albariño and Catalonia which includes the Cava and still wine-producing regions of the Penedès as well the Priorat region. The country has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain, though 88 percent of the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes - including the reds Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha, and Monastrell the whites Albariño, Airén, Verdejo, Palomino, and Macabeo and the three Cava grapes Parellada, Xarel The country is ninth in worldwide consumption with Spaniards drinking, on average, 21.6 litres (5.7 US gal) per person a year. ![]() This is due, in part, to the very low yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry soils found in some of the Spanish wine regions. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 1.2 million hectares (2.9 million acres) planted in wine grapes, making it the most widely planted wine-producing nation, but the second largest producer of wine in the world, behind Italy and ahead of France and the United States. Spanish wine ( Spanish: vinos españoles) includes red, white, and sparkling wines produced throughout the country. Wine making in Spain A glass and bottle of Spanish Tempranillo wine, from Bodegues Ramon Roqueta, Catalunya DOP Traditional vineyards are common sights in the countryside.
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