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Spain occupies a special place in the world of wine thanks largely to its rich history and tradition in quality winemaking, the diversity in types and styles of wines produced and the volume of production, which is only behind Italy and France.
For individual descriptions of each of the Spanish wine regions, please have a look at the table below.
The two main factors which dictate the country's overall wine production are:
- Geography and climate - Lying between the 36 and 43 degrees northern latitudes, this vast land stretches from the warm and humid Mediterranean coast in the south and west to the cool and wet influences of the Atlantic in the north with a number of different mountain ranges dotting the landscape, each adding their own influence to the grape growing conditions (terroir) here. In between lies the enormous Iberian plateau, a largely arid landmass with a number of major rivers crawling their way through the area's vineyards. Being so far from the coastal effects, with plentiful sunshine, this region's climate suits the production of red wines as well as the grape variety Airén used in the production of brandy.
The Atlantic influenced vineyards of the north specialize in creating light, dry and refreshing white wines whereas the ones close to the Mediterranean sea produce sumptuous, albeit heavy and often alcoholic reds. An important exception are the inland and comparatively higher altitude Catalan vineyards which have excelled in the production of Cava, Spain's very own sparkling wine produced by the traditional Champagne method.
The southern province of Andalucia with a mix of Atlantic and Mediterranean influences is the home to one of the greatest fortified wines of the world, Sherry.
- Wine laws - Most of Spain's provinces have distinct regional and cultural differences which are evident in the wide range of style preferences. The autonomous governing structure empowers the regions to enforce their own wine laws staying within the larger European Union framework and the country's controlled appellation system, the DO or Denominación de Origen, similar to France's AOP (Appellation d'Origin Protegée), formerly the AOC (Appellation d'Origin Controlée).
The country's diversity is also demonstrated in the grape varieties grown which are simply too many to generalize. These range from famous regional specialties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Macabeo, Verdejo, Palomino and Pedro Ximénez to name a few to major international varieties.
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