Spanish Wine Information | Guide to Spanish Wines

Spain is divided into political regions. Example = Galicia or Aragon.

Each region is divided into Provinces.

The quality wine regions of Spain are designated and governed by the Denominaciones de Origen, or DO for short.

There are currently 64 Denominaciones de Origen across Spain.

Each Denominaciones de Origen has a governing council. Each bottle of wine must carry a stamped label on the back of the bottle insuring that the wine has met the requirements of the specific DO.

The term Crianza on a label means the wine has been aged a minimum of two years, with 6 months or more in oak barrels depending on the specific DO. For example, the Rioja DO requires one full year in the barrel.

The term Reserva on a label means aged for three years, length in oak barrels one year (In Rioja).

The term Gran Reserva on a label means aged for five years, two years or more in oak barrels.

The term Vino de Mesa is the term used for wines below the quality level of DO. These are considered to be table wines. The wines are from a certain location but do not have the requirements of the DO for aging and amount of grapes. They can be blended.

Vino de la Tierra is another term used in table wine.