Few countries offer more extremes than Spain. Thousands of Dutch people travel to Spain every year to enjoy the sun, sea, and sand. But Spain has much more to offer than that. Rugged, spirited, flavorful, and magnificent. These are just a few keywords to describe Spain, and especially Spanish wine. Keywords you taste with every single sip of Spanish wine. Whether it's a crisp Rueda, a spicy Rioja, a sparkling Cava, or a syrupy Pedrò Ximenez, you're experiencing a taste of Spain. You think of vibrant cities like Barcelona, ​​Madrid, or Seville. You fantasize about a table laden with tapas in a characteristic tapas restaurant. Where food and drink abound. Where the Spanish chatter echoes across the quaint squares. Where the nightlife is vibrant. Where enjoyment is the norm. Whichever Spanish wine you open, your thoughts will remain with this beautiful part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Famous Spanish Wine Regions

When people think of Spanish wine, they often think of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Rueda. But Spain has so much more! No other country boasts more wine regions than Spain. Spanish wines are produced in over 50 wine regions. Spanish wine is produced in every corner, from the sunny coast to the bone-dry interior. But besides having the most wine regions, Spain also boasts the largest wine region in the world. Nowhere on earth is there a wine region larger than La Mancha! Some of the world's largest wineries are located within Spain's borders: Torres, Marques de Riscal, and Vincente Gandia. These are major wineries that master every aspect of winemaking. But sublime wine is produced throughout Spain. Whether in the northeast (Rioja, Navarra, Priorat), the northwest (Rias Baixas, Rueda, Toro), or the south (Yecla, Jumilla, or Jerez), each region has its own characteristics and produces beautiful, high-quality wines.

Nestled against the Pyrenees lie beautiful wine regions. Rioja is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. For centuries, prestigious wineries like Obalo, Carlos Serres, and Don Jacobo have been producing exquisite wines. A Rioja wine is instantly recognizable: powerful and intense, spicy and spicy. A distinct temperament that is typically Spanish. Tempranillo is the foundation here (and in many other Spanish wine regions, too!).

Spanish Priorat

In the hinterland of Tarragona, just south of Barcelona, ​​lies the tiny wine region of Priorat. This bone-dry area was once shunned by winemakers worldwide, but in recent decades, wineries have discovered and appreciated this unspoiled corner of Spain. The region is stunningly beautiful: time has literally stood still here. The terrain is hilly and rugged. When you find yourself in this rugged area early in the morning, passing valleys shrouded in a shadowy mist and houses where electricity isn't yet common, it feels utterly mysterious. At least as mysterious as the wines produced here. Many consider them the finest of all Spanish wines!

While red grape varieties dominate in the northeast of Spain, white grapes triumph in the northwest. Verdejo, in particular, is a hit here, but Macabeo and Albarino certainly don't play second fiddle. Crisp, fresh as a sunny spring morning. Freshly mown grass. A bowl of seafood. All the fantasies that come to mind when you open a bottle of white wine from the Rueda or Rías Baixas.

Besides superb quality wines, Spanish winemaking has several other strengths. While France is making waves with its champagne, and Italy is making waves with prosecco, Spain also has its own sparkling wine. And this sparkling wine is just as headstrong as Spain itself. A sparkling wine full of complexity and character: Cava. This Spanish sparkling wine comes in many forms—Brut, Semi-Seco, Rosé, Brut Reserva, or Blanc de Blanc—but they all have one thing in common: they're going to conquer Europe. While ten years ago, no one batted an eye at a fine cava, thankfully, trends have changed. Cava is slightly milder than champagne and sometimes comes across as a bit spicier than champagne. Again, that headstrong character you only find in Spain.

Well-known Spanish grape varieties

When people think of typical wines, they often immediately think of French and Italian wines. But each region proves that Spanish wines are also more than worth trying. Spain boasts beautiful indigenous grape varieties: Garnacha, Monastrell, Tempranillo, Albarino, Verdejo, and Macabeo. These magnificent grape varieties create dazzling wines. All these wines share one thing: Spanish character. In Spain, drinking wine is in the blood. Spaniards are perhaps the biggest fans of their own wines. Whether you're in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Barcelona, ​​on a rooftop terrace in Madrid, in a characteristic Spanish square in Seville, or in the countryside of Alicante, all tables share one thing: a bottle of sublime Spanish wine.