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Spanish wines

Spain has more land under vine than any other country and is the world's third-largest wine producer, after Italy and France. It is known for Tempranillo reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, Sherry from Jerez, Cava from Catalonia and Albariño from Rías Baixas in Galicia.

WineGuessr features 37 wines from Spain, in 14 regions. Castile and León has the most, with 6.

Wine history

Grapes were probably first cultivated in Spain between 4000 and 3000 BC, and Phoenicians founded Cádiz around 1100 BC, near today's Sherry country. Under Rome, Tarraconensis (around Tarragona) and Baetica (Andalusia) exported wine across the empire. By 1364 the court of Edward III of England priced Spanish wines at the same level as those of Gascony. Phylloxera struck Málaga in 1878 and reached Rioja in 1901, and French winemakers who came south brought Bordeaux methods and small oak barrels that still shape Rioja. In Catalonia, Codorníu began making sparkling wine in the late 19th century, and producers adopted the name Cava in 1970.

Wine regions and appellations

Spain's quality ladder runs from Vino de Mesa through IGP (Vino de la Tierra), Vino de Calidad, DO and DOCa (DOQ in Catalan) to Vino de Pago, the single-estate category created in 2003 that includes Dominio de Valdepusa. In 2019 there were 138 DOP and IGP areas. Rioja became the first DOCa in 1991, and Priorat holds the same rank. Castile and León has Ribera del Duero, Toro, Rueda and Bierzo. Galicia has Rías Baixas and Ribeira Sacra, and Andalusia has Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Manzanilla and Montilla-Moriles.

Grapes and what to drink

Spain grows over 400 varieties, but about 20 make 88% of its wine. Tempranillo leads the reds in Rioja and Ribera del Duero, where it is called Tinto Fino, alongside Garnacha, Bobal and Monastrell, the grape of Jumilla. Airén is the most widely planted white grape. Albariño makes the coastal whites of Rías Baixas, Verdejo makes Rueda, and Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo make Cava. Palomino covers about 90% of Sherry vineyards, with Pedro Ximénez for sweet styles. Red labels show ageing: Reserva needs at least three years with one in oak, and Gran Reserva at least five years with two in oak. Icons include Vega Sicilia Único and Pingus.

Wine regions of Spain

Grapes of Spain

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Andalusia: 5 wines

Aragon: 4 wines

Balearic Islands: 1 wine

Basque Country: 1 wine

Canary Islands: 1 wine

Castile and León: 6 wines

Castilla-La Mancha: 3 wines

Catalonia: 6 wines

Extremadura: 1 wine

Galicia: 4 wines

Murcia: 2 wines

Rioja: 1 wine

Valencian Community: 1 wine

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Wine in Spain: questions and answers

How is Spanish wine classified?

Spanish wine is classified from Vino de Mesa up through IGP, Vino de Calidad, DO and DOCa, with Vino de Pago reserved for single estates. Rioja became the first DOCa in 1991.

What grape is Rioja made from?

Red Rioja is made mainly from Tempranillo, often blended with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan). White Rioja uses Viura, Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca.

What do Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva mean?

They are ageing categories. A red Reserva must age at least three years, one of them in oak, and a Gran Reserva at least five years, two of them in oak; Crianza is the youngest of the three.

Where does Sherry come from?

Sherry comes from the triangle between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María in Andalusia. It is made mostly from Palomino and fortified after fermentation.

What grapes are used in Cava?

Cava is traditionally made from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo, using the same bottle-fermentation method as Champagne. It was first made at Codorníu in Catalonia in the late 19th century.

Wines from other countries

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org

Last reviewed October 2026.