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.
In Spain, the denominación de origen is part of a regulatory geographical indication system used primarily for foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. In wines, it parallels the hierarchical systems of France (1935) and Italy (1963), although Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1933) preceded the full system. In foods, it performs a similar role, regulation of quality and geographical origin of products from Spain. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the European Union (EU). In Catalonia, two further categories – labelled A and Q – cover traditional Catalan artisan food products, but were not recognised by the EU as of 2007. In recent decades, the concept of the denominación de origen has been adopted by other countries, primarily in Latin America. In 2016, the use of the Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines was registered as a European Union Protected Designations of Origin/Denominación de Origen Protegida (PDO/DOP), but the traditional Portuguese term of DO can still be used legally on labels.
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.
The mainstream quality wine regions in Spain are referred to as denominaciones de origen protegidas (DOP) and the wine they produce is regulated for quality according to specific laws, and in compliance with European Commission Regulation (CE) 753/2002. In 2016, the use of the term Denominación de Origen (DO) was updated to Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ; the traditional term of DO can still be used legally on labels, but it will eventually be replaced by DOP.
Montilla-Moriles is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the southern part of the province of Córdoba. It is bounded by the river Genil to the east, by the river Guadajoz to the west, by the river Guadalquivir to the north, and by the Subbetic Range of mountains to the south.
Málaga and Sierras de Málaga are two different Spanish Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas (DOPs) for wines from the province of Málaga. First formed as one DOP in 1932, the Sierras de Málaga DOP was formed in 2001 and is in effect a sub-appellation of Málaga DOP.
Campo de Borja is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the Campo de Borja comarca, northwest of the province of Zaragoza. It is a transition zone between the plains of the River Ebro and the mountains of the Sistema Ibérico. The DOP comprises 16 municipalities. These are Ainzón, Agón, Albeta, Ambel, Bisimbre, Borja, Bulbuente, Bureta, Fréscano, Fuendejalón, Magallón, Maleján, Mallén, Pozuelo de Aragón, Tabuenca and Vera de Moncayo. The Moncayo mountain is the dominant feature of the DOP and creates a microclimate which gives the wines a special character.
Rueda is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the Community of Castile and León. It comprises 72 municipalities, of which 53 are in the province of Valladolid, 17 are in the north of the province of Segovia, and 2 are in the north of the province of Ávila. It is one of Spain's leading wine regions, and is known primarily for its white wines based on the Verdejo grape.
Utiel Requena is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the province of Valencia. It takes its name from the two neighbouring towns of Utiel and Requena. It is renowned for the predominant use of the Bobal grape variety.
Rías Baixas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines located in the province of Pontevedra and the south of the province of Corunna in the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. It is renowned for its white wines made from the Albariño grape variety. Its headquarters is located in the city of Pontevedra.
Pago de Arínzano is a wine estate that uses the Vino de Pago wine appellation, a classification for Spanish wine applied to individual vineyards or wine estates, unlike the Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) or Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) which is applied to an entire wine region. This Vino de Pago is located in the municipality of Aberin, in the Foral Community of Navarra, Spain, and is geographically within the borders of the Navarra DOP. The 300 hectares estate was purchased by the Chivite family in 1988 and was operated by Bodegas Chivite until it was sold in 2015 to a multinational drinks firm, SPI Group.
Pago Irache is a branch of Bodegas Irache, a Spanish winery in Navarre, Spain. The Pago Irache branch uses the Vino de Pago wine appellation, a classification for Spanish wine applied to individual vineyards or wine estates, unlike the Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) or Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) which is applied to an entire wine region. This Vino de Pago is located in the municipality of Aberin, in the Foral Community of Navarra, Spain, and is geographically within the borders of the Navarra DOP. This Vino de Pago is located in the municipality of Ayegui, near the town of Estella in the Foral Community of Navarra, Spain, and is geographically within the borders of the Navarra DOP. The winery, Bodegas Irache, also sells wines under the Navarra DOP appellation.
Lanzarote is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines that covers the entire island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, Spain. It acquired its DO in 1994, and there are currently around 1,800 ha under cultivation.
Cangas is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP), traditionally called a Vino de calidad con Indicación Geográficafor wines located in the autonomous region of Asturias. This is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen quality wines and one step above the less stringent Vino de la Tierra wines on the quality ladder.
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.
Granada is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines in the province of Granada, Andalusia, Spain, extending over 168 different municipalities. There is also sub-zone known as "Contraviesa-Alpujarras", covering another 13 municipalities in the Alpujarras mountains. Granada achieved Vino de Calidad status in 2009, and Denominación de Origen status in 2018.
Lebrija is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP), traditionally called a Vino de calidad con Indicación Geográfica. This is one step below the mainstream Denominación de Origen quality wines and one step above the less stringent Vino de la Tierra wines on the quality ladder. It is located in the province of Seville, and as of 2019 includes one winery, Bodegas González Palacios.
3 Riberas is a Spanish geographical indication for Vino de la Tierra wines located in the autonomous region of Navarre. 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 2018.
