Spain's Unsung Wine Excellence

When people think about leaders in the global wine market, their minds may wander to the old-world vintages of Italy, or the highly collectible bottles found in France, or the modern wines produced in sunny California. Among these giants, Spain is often overlooked and undervalued as a leader in fine wines. Not only is Spain the world’s number one exporter of wine, its rich history and vineyard practices make it one of the powerhouses of the worldwide wine industry.

Winemaking is baked into Spain’s history. Spain has been making wine for over 3,000 years, dating back to 1100 BCE. Over the centuries, the Romans and Moors expanded Spain’s winemaking methods and their irrigation abilities, setting Spain up for a long history in the wine industry.

Today Spain continues to make a mark on the wine industry. Many popular wine varieties that are grown globally—such as Garnacha, Monastrell, and Cariñena—originate from Spain. Further, Spain currently ranks as the number one global wine exporter, with 22% of all wine exports originating from Spain, and is responsible for 15% of the world’s total wine production.

The unique characteristics of Spain’s vineyards especially differentiate Spanish winemakers as masters of innovation with high standards for quality. Spain devotes more land to its vineyards than any other country—over two million acres of land! And yet Spain falls behind France and Italy in actual wine production, because Spanish winemakers plant fewer vines across these acres to help control yields and alleviate drought stress.

There’s a compelling reason for this approach—many Spanish vineyards face extreme conditions that force their winemakers to get creative. In Ribeira Sacra, vines run along steep riverbanks with slopes at nearly 80 degree angles. Lanzarote vines must be planted within hand-crafted lava rock basins to protect against the wind. Despite this, Spanish winemakers continue to lead the way in ethical practices, with the largest number of organic vineyards worldwide and a continued nationwide focus on leading change in the climate crisis.

Spanish winemakers have a demonstrated record of creating quality wine born of ancient traditions and adapted to an often challenging landscape. This commitment to quality, and the obvious popularity as a worldwide export, firmly demonstrates Spanish wine as deserving of global recognition that it has long proven itself worthy of.