Rioja [] is a wine region in Spain, with denominación de origen calificada. Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La Rioja and Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa. Many wines have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions, though there is a slow growth in single-zone wines.
Carignan is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean and around the globe. Along with Aramon, it was considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake and was a substantial producer in jug wine production in California's Central Valley but in recent years, it has been reborn as a flagship wine for many cellars in the south of France as well as in Catalonia.
Grenache or Garnacha is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, where the grape most likely originated. It is also grown in the Italian island of Sardinia, the south of France, Australia, and California's Monterey AVA, Paso Robles, and San Joaquin Valley.
Trousseau or Trousseau Noir, also known as Bastardo and Merenzao, is an old variety of red wine grape originating in eastern France. It is grown in small amounts in many parts of Western Europe; the largest plantations are today found in Portugal, where most famously it is used in port wine. It makes deep cherry red wines with high alcohol and high, sour candy acidity, and flavours of red berry fruits, often complemented - depending on production - by a jerky nose and an organic, mossy minerality.
Spanish wine includes red, white, and sparkling wines produced throughout the country. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 1.2 million hectares 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. 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. The country is ninth in worldwide consumption with Spaniards drinking, on average, 21.6 litres per person a year. 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·lo, and Macabeo.
Grand Noir de la Calmette is a red teinturier grape variety that is a crossing of Petit Bouschet and Aramon noir created in 1855 by French grape breeder Henri Bouschet at his vineyard in Mauguio in the Hérault department. The grape was named after the breeding station Domaine de la Calmette. As a teinturier, Grand noir is often used to add color to wines that it is blended into but is paler than other choices such as Alicante Bouschet. The vine tends to bud late and has a high productivity but with some susceptibility to the viticultural hazard of powdery mildew.
Bobal is a variety of Vitis vinifera, a red grape used in winemaking. It is native to the Utiel-Requena region in Valencia, Spain. The presence of Bobal in Utiel-Requena was documented in the 15th century in "Espill o llibre de les dones” by Jaume Roig. The name derives from the Latin bovale, in reference to the shape of a bull’s head.
Mondéjar is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the southeast corner of the province of Guadalajara, around the town of Mondéjar. It covers 19 municipalities, the most important one being Sacedón.
Jumilla is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines that extends over the north of the region of Murcia, Spain. The area includes the municipality of Jumilla, from which it takes its name, and the contiguous southeast of the Albacete province in the Castile-La Mancha region. It is one of Spain's leading wine regions.
Alicante is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the province of Alicante.
Valencia is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the Province of Valencia within the Valencian Community and is divided into two separate zones and four sub-zones, each of which produces a different type of wine.
Ribera del Guadiana is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the region of Extremadura (Spain). It extends over two provinces, Cáceres in the north and Badajoz in the south. It takes its name from the River Guadiana, which flows through the region from east to west.
Yecla is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located around the town of Yecla in the northernmost corner of the region of Murcia (Spain) and is surrounded by other DOPs: Jumilla to the south and west, Almansa to the north and Alicante to the east. The area is notable for its extensive use of the red Monastrell grape variety, and it is traditionally known as the home of Monastrell in Spain. Monastrell is the fourth most planted red grape variety in Spain. The international market makes up 92% of the DOP's wine sales, making it the Spanish wine DOP with the highest proportion of international exports.
Merseguera is a white Spanish wine grape variety planted primarily in the Alicante, Jumilla and Valencia regions.
Campo de Cartagena is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous Region of Murcia. Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder.
Abanilla was a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of Murcia. Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder.
Cava is a sparkling wine of Denominación de Origen (DO) status from Spain. It may be white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). The Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo are the most popular and traditional grape varieties for producing cava. Only wines produced in the traditional method may be labelled "cava"; those produced by other processes may only be called "sparkling wines". About 95% of all cava is produced in the Penedès area in Catalonia, Spain, with the village of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia being home to many of the largest Catalan production houses. The two major producers are Codorníu and Freixenet. Cava is also produced in other villages in Aragon, Castile and León, Extremadura, La Rioja, Basque Country, Navarre and Valencia.
Tempranillo blanco is a white Spanish wine grape variety that is grown in the Rioja Denominación de Origen (DOC). It is a mutation of the red Tempranillo grape variety that is planted in Rioja. The white grape variety was discovered in a Tempranillo vineyard in the Rioja region by a wine grower in the late 20th century. In 2007, the Consejo Regulador of Rioja officially sanctioned the use of Tempranillo blanco in the DOC wines of Rioja.
IGP Murcia is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of Murcia. Vino de la Tierra is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen indication on the Spanish wine quality ladder, and mirrors the Vins de pays of French wine. It acquired its Vino de la Tierra status in 2011.
