Say 'Ola Amigos!' To Spanish Wines
By Doug Arnold
It comes as a surprise to a number of people that Spain is in the top three wine producing countries in the world. What is surprising is that Spain has over 3 million acres of planted vineyards, which makes it the most widely planted country in the world. The probable reason for why Spain is only number 3 in terms of production is because the land tends to be dry and infertile. Even with the difference in the land size vs total production, the Spanish wine industry is still able to produce top quality wines that are world renown. Because of the high quality, wines from Spain are among the most sought-after wines around the world.
Spanish wine makers have been successful because of the relatively large number of grape varieties grown in Spain. These days, there are approximately 600 varieties of grapes grown in the various Spanish wine regions. But, despite this wide variety of grapes, 80% of the wines from Spain are from only 20 varieties of grape. But don't be discouraged over this, as there is still a huge number of available wine choices.
The techniques and methods for making Spanish wine are usually the more orthodox and traditional methods that have been utilized for centuries. Using these old methods, as little human interference as possible is employed. The end result is enough wine is produced to make Spain the third-largest producer of wine, but it also makes Spain the largest consumer of wine as well. Each year, Spaniards consume over 40 litres of wine per person!
Sherry is the most popular variety of wines from Spain. Additional alcohol, such as brandy, is added to Sherry while it is fermenting, which increases the amount of alcohol in it. The yeast can't handle this increase in alcohol during fermentation, and will therefore die before fermentation is complete, leaving sugar behind. Because of the sugar that is leftover, Sherry will normally be quite sweet in taste, and the brandy that is added will typically boost the alcohol content as well. Because of this process, Sherry will normally have an alcoholic content of at least 20%. There are about seven varieties of Sherry produced in Spain and exported widely around the world and primarily used as a dessert wine. Similar to the situation with Champagne, for a wine to be allowed to be called a "Sherry", it must be made and bottled in the right regions in Spain. All of Sherries produced outside of Spain are typically labelled a "dessert wine". Another popular variety of wine from Spain is called Cava. A great-tasting and much sought-after sparkling wine, Cava is produced much the same way as Champagne.
It doesn't matter what type of wine you are looking for, as you can be assured that the variety of wine produced in Spain will suit every wine enthusiast. It is not hard to believe that with over 4 million tonnes of wine produced by Spanish wine makers annually, Spanish wines make up a large proportion of the wines consumed today in every country. In addition to the high class restaurants, Spanish wines are also enjoyed from numerous home wine cellars!
About The Author:
Doug has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. Although he specializes in financial topic such as commodities and equities, you can check out his latest website, TheWineSpot.org, which gives all the latest news, reviews and helpful articles about all topics wine related, such as Spanish wines and all other wines and wine accessories from around the world.
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