Spanish wine regions

The mainstream quality wine regions in Spain are referred to as denominaciones de origen protegidas (DOP) (similar to the French Appellations) and the wine they produce is regulated for quality according to specific laws, and in compliance with European Commission Regulation (CE) 753/2002.[1] In 2016, the use of the term Denominación de Origen (DO) was updated to Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA – Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación); the traditional term of DO can still be used legally on labels, but it will eventually be replaced by DOP.[2]

DO & DOCa wine regions of Spain
IGP wine regions of Spain

The wine region classification in Spain takes a quite complex hierarchical form in which the denominación de origen protegida is a mainstream grading, equivalent to the French AOC and the Italian DOC. As of 2019, Spain has 138 identifiable wine regions under some form of geographical classification (2 DOCa/DOQ, 68 DO, 7 VC, 19 VP, and 42 VT).[2] The Spanish DO is actually a subset of the EU-sponsored QWPSR (Quality Wine Produced in Specific Regions) regulatory code (vino de calidad producido en región determinada (VCPRD) in Spanish) which Spain formally adopted in 1986, upon accession to the (then) EEC.[3] The Spanish appellation hierarchy was most recently updated in 2016, and is as follows:[2]

DOPdenominación de origen protegida ('protected denomination of origin'), is the mainstay of Spain's wine quality control system. Each region is governed by a consejo regulador, which decides on the boundaries of the region, permitted varietals, maximum yields, limits of alcoholic strength and other quality standards or production limitations pertaining to the zone. As of 2019 there are 96 DOPs that are subdivided into DOCa, DO, VP, and VC. The sub-categories can be called DOP, or they can use the traditional terms of DOCa, DO, VP, and VC.

DOCadenominación de origen calificada ('denomination of qualified origin'), is the highest category in Spanish wine regulations, reserved for regions with above-average grape prices and particularly stringent quality controls. Rioja was the first Spanish region to be awarded DOCa status in 1991, followed by Priorat in 2003. Priorat uses the Catalan language DOQ, for denominació d'origen qualificada. These are the only two regions considered "above" DO status.

DOdenominación de origin, the mainstay of Spain's wine quality control system. Each region is governed by a consejo regulador, which decides on the boundaries of the region, permitted varietals, maximum yields, limits of alcoholic strength and other quality standards or production limitations pertaining to the zone.

VPvino de pago ('estate wine'), a special term for high-quality, single-estate wines (pago is a Spanish term for a vineyard estate) which in some cases also have DO or VC or IGP appellations. This category was formed in 2003.

VCvino de Calidad con indicación geográfica ('quality wine with geographic indication'), a category formed in 2003 along with VP. The VC category is used for wines that do not fully meet the stringent standards of the DO category, but are above the standards of the IGP category.

IGPindicación geográfica protegida ('protected geographic indication'). This is below the DOP level, and is wine originating from a specific place, a region or a country, which has a certain quality, reputation or other characteristic - including production phases - that can be essentially attributed to its geographical origin, at least one of which takes place in the defined geographical area. These can use the traditional term Vino de la Tierra (VT).

VdMvino de mesa ('table wine'), the catch-all at the bottom of the pyramid, for all wine from unclassified vineyards, and wine that has been declassified by blending. This includes both inexpensive jug wines and some expensive wines that are not yet classified due to innovation outside traditional lines.

In 2006 a new Vino de la Tierra "super-region" was created called Viñedos de España. This was never ratified by the EU, and it was abolished in 2011.[4]

Although almost all wine regions are confined to specific centres of production, some of the top denominaciones (Cava and Rioja in particular) are the product of more than one Autonomous Community. This is in contrast to Vinos 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.[5]

List of Spanish Denominaciones de Origen Protegido and Vinos de la Tierra by Community

Autonomous
Community
Denominación de Origen Protegido (DOP)
Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (VC)
(DOCa and Vino de Pago in bold)
IGP / Vinos de la Tierra (VT)
Andalusia

Condado de Huelva
Granada (VC)
Jerez-Xeres-Sherry
Lebrija (VC)
Málaga (wine)
Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Montilla-Moriles
Sierras de Málaga

Altiplano de Sierra Nevada
Bailén
Cádiz
Córdoba
Cumbres del Guadalfeo
Desierto de Almería
Laderas del Genil
Laujar-Alpujarra
Los Palacios
Norte de Almería
Ribera del Andarax
Sierra Norte de Sevilla
Sierra Sur de Jaén
Sierras de Las Estancias y Los Filabres
Torreperogil
Villaviciosa de Córdoba

Aragon

Calatayud
Campo de Borja
Cariñena
Somontano
Cava (multi-regional)

Pago Aylés (Vino de Pago)

Bajo Aragón
Ribera del Gállego-Cinco Villas
Ribera del Jiloca
Ribera del Queiles (multi-regional)
Valdejalón
Valle del Cinca

Asturias Cangas (VC) (none)
Cantabria (none) Costa de Cantabria
Liébana
Castile and León

Arlanza
Arribes
Bierzo
Cigales
Ribera del Duero
Rueda
Sierra de Salamanca (VC)
Tierra de León
Tierra del Vino de Zamora
Toro
Valles de Benavente (VC)
Valtiendas (VC)

Cava (multi-regional)

Castilla y León

Castile-La Mancha

Almansa
Jumilla (multi-regional)
La Mancha
Manchuela
Méntrida
Mondéjar
Ribera del Júcar
Uclés
Valdepeñas

Campo de La Guardia (Vino de Pago)
Casa del Blanco (Vino de Pago)
Dehesa del Carrizal (Vino de Pago)
Dominio de Valdepusa (Vino de Pago)
Finca Élez (Vino de Pago)
Guijoso (Vino de Pago)
Pago Calzadilla (Vino de Pago)
Pago Florentino (Vino de Pago)

Castilla
Catalonia

Alella
Catalunya
Conca de Barberà
Costers del Segre
Empordà
Montsant
Penedès
Pla de Bages
Priorat (DOCa)
Tarragona
Terra Alta
Cava (multi-regional)

(none)
Community of Madrid Vinos de Madrid (none)
Valencian Community

Alicante
Utiel-Requena
Valencia
Cava (multi-regional)
El Terrerazo (Vino de Pago)
Los Balagueses (Vino de Pago)

Castelló
Extremadura

Ribera del Guadiana
Cava (multi-regional)

Extremadura
Galicia

Monterrei
Rías Baixas
Ribeira Sacra
Ribeiro
Valdeorras

Barbanza e Iria
Betanzos
Ribeiras do Morrazo
Valle del Miño-Orense

Balearic Islands

Binissalem
Plà i Llevant

Formentera
Ibiza
Illes Balears
Mallorca
Isla de Menorca
Serra de Tramuntana-Costa Nord

Canary Islands

Abona
El Hierro
Gran Canaria
La Gomera
La Palma
Lanzarote
Tacoronte-Acentejo
Valle de Güímar
Valle de la Orotava
Ycoden-Daute-Isora

Canary Islands
Foral Community of Navarre

Navarra
Rioja (DOCa)
Cava (multi-regional)
Pago de Arínzano (Vino de Pago)
Otazu (Vino de Pago)
Prado de Irache (Vino de Pago)

Ribera del Queiles (multi-regional)
3 Riberas

Basque Country

Txacolí de Bizcaia
Txacolí de Getaria
Txacolí de Álava
Rioja Alavesa (DOCa)
Cava (multi-regional)

(none)
Murcia

Bullas
Jumilla (multi-regional)
Yecla

Campo de Cartagena
Murcia

La Rioja Rioja (DOCa)

Cava (multi-regional)

Valles de Sadacia

References

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