Spanish wine regions
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The majority of wine regions in Spain are referred to as denominaciones (similar to the French appellation) whose wine is regulated for quality according to specific laws.
The denominación is part of a wider hierarchy of quality-graded descriptors for Spanish wine regions, as follows (highest quality first):
- Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago): Recently revived by the Spanish government, los Vinos de Pago aspire to the very highest standards with extremely strict geographical criteria, centering on individual single-estates with an international reputation.
- Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ - Denominació d'Origen Qualificada in Catalan, Denominación de Orixe Cualificada in Galician): Regions with a proven track record of consistent quality. There are only 2 wine regions with this status, Rioja and Priorato.
- Denominación de Origen (DO - Denominació d'Origen in Catalan, Denominación de orixe in Galician): mainstream quality-wine regions. There are 66 wine regions with this status.
- Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD - Spanish translation of the EU QWPSR): a 'starter home' for wine regions climbing the quality ladder. There are currently just 2 wine regions with this status, both in Castile and León.
- Vino de la Tierra (VdlT) "Country wines" which do not have EU QWPSR status but which may use a regional name. There are 38 'official' and 20 'unofficial' Vino de la Tierra regions in Spain.
- Vino de Mesa (table wine) is bulk-grown, usually drawn from a wide variety of regions and hence has no vintage or area designation on the label, apart from "Produce of Spain". Production of this low grade of Spanish wine is falling year on year. In 2006 a new Vino de la Tierra "region" was created called Viñedos de Espana (not listed below) which is also permitted to blend wines from any number of Spanish regions. This has yet to be ratified by the EU, however.[1]
Although the majority are confined to specific centres of production, some of the top Denominaciónes, Cava and Rioja in particular, are the product of more than one Autonomous Community. This is in contrast to Denominaciónes de Pago, where the location criteria are very strict indeed, often centering on specific plots of land and admitting only those wines produced in their immediate vicinity.[2]
[edit] List of Spanish Denominaciones de Origen and Vinos de la Tierra by Community
| Autonomous Community |
Dominiaciónes de Origen (DO) (DOCa and DO de Pago in bold) |
Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) (VCPRD in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Andalusia | Condado de Huelva Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Málaga Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda Montilla-Moriles Sierras de Málaga |
Bailén Cádiz Contraviesa-Alpujarra Córdoba Desierto de Almería Granada Sur-Oeste Laujar-Alpujarra Los Palacios Norte de Granada Ribera del Andarax Sierra Norte de Sevilla Sierra Sur de Jaén |
| Aragon | Calatayud Campo de Borja Cariñena Somontano (Cava) |
Bajo Aragón Ribera del Gállego-Cinco Villas Ribera del Jiloca Valdejalón Valle del Cinca Ribera de Queiles |
| Asturias | (none) | Cangas |
| Cantabria | (none) | Costa de Cantabria Liébana |
| Castile and León | Arribes Bierzo Cigales Ribera del Duero Rueda Toro (Cava) (one producer in Aranda de Duero) |
Arlanza (VCPRD) Castilla y León Tierra de León (VCPRD) Tierra del Vino de Zamora (VCPRD) Valles de Benavente (VCPRD) |
| Castile-La Mancha | Almansa Dehesa del Carrizal (DO de Pago) Dominio de Valdepusa (DO de Pago) Finca Élez (DO de Pago) Guijoso (DO de Pago) La Mancha Manchuela Méntrida Mondéjar Ribera del Júcar Uclés Valdepeñas (Jumilla) |
Castilla Gálvez Pozohondo Sierra de Alcaraz |
| Catalonia | Alella Catalunya Conca de Barberà Costers del Segre Empordà Montsant Penedès Pla de Bages Priorat (DOCa) Tarragona Terra Alta (Cava) |
(none) |
| Community of Madrid | Vinos de Madrid | (none) |
| Valencian Community | Alicante Utiel-Requena Valencia (Cava) |
Castelló El Terrerazo |
| Extremadura | Ribera del Guadiana (Cava) |
Extremadura |
| Galicia | Monterrei Rías Baixas Ribeira Sacra Ribeiro Valdeorras |
Betanzos Valle del Miño-Orense |
| Balearic Islands | Binissalem-Mallorca Plà i Llevant |
Formentera Ibiza Illes Balears Isla de Menorca Serra de Tramuntana-Costa Nord |
| Canary Islands | Abona El Hierro La Palma Lanzarote Tacoronte-Acentejo Valle de Güímar Valle de la Orotava Ycoden-Daute-Isora |
La Gomera |
| Navarre | Navarra Señorío de Arínzano (DO de Pago)[3] (Rioja) (Cava) |
Ribera del Queiles |
| Basque Country | Chacolí de Álava Chacolí de Vizcaya Chacolí de Guetaria (Rioja (Alavesa)) (Cava) |
(none) |
| Región de Murcia | Bullas Jumilla Yecla |
Abanilla Campo de Cartagena |
| La Rioja | Rioja (DOCa) (Cava) |
Valles de Sadacia |
