Spanish Wine Regions

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Spanish Wine Regions Map of Spanish Wine Regions Learn all about Spanish wine country, region by region Discovering the wine regions of Spain is a fun way of learning about the country´s history and culture. Spain is one of the most fascinating wine producing countries in the world with a wide offering of handcrafted wine styles and quaint wine country villages to visit. So why not combine wine tasting with your other interests in Spain! Gourmets flock to Catalunya, Basque Country and Madrid for cosmopolitan refined restaurants, many of them Michelin starred. History buffs love Andalucia for its rich concentration of Moorish and Renaissance architecture. Birdwatchers love La Rioja, nature lovers adore the entire Green Spain (Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias and Basque Country) and Jetsetters enjoy the luxury villa style hotels and secret dreamy beaches of the Balearic Islands. Northern Spain Northern Spain in terms of wine country encompasses the misty green hills of Atlantic Galicia (Rias Baixas, Valdeorras, Ribeiro, etc), the Castilla y Leon autonomous region (Bierzo, Toro, Rueda, Ribera del Duero, etc) the beautiful regions of Basque Country (Txakoli) and La Rioja, and the agriculturally rich plateaus of Navarra and Somontano. The range of scenery, local gastronomic traditions, wine styles and micro climates is extraordinary. Some of the renowned local grapes include Albariño and Godello in Galicia, Mencia in Bierzo, Tempranillo of course (in Rioja, and called "Tinta del Pais" in Ribera del Duero and Toro), Verdejo in Rueda, Viura in Rioja and Garnacha in Rioja and Navarra (in Navarra, Garnacha is used for their stellar dry rosé wines). Read on to discover some of the most highly esteemed wine regions in Northern Spain.... Bierzo Bierzo is definitely Spain´s most up and coming region and thanks to celebrity winemakers like Alvaro Palacios, these Mencia based wines are gaining intentional attention. This beautiful wine region is located in northwest Spain just below the Celtic winemaking region of Galicia... La Rioja The wine region of La Rioja was demarcated by the area's governing body, the CONSEJO REGULADOR, in 1926. The region extends for approx. 120 km along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest, 50 kilometers, bounded by mountains on either side... Navarra From generally oxidized rosés to full-bodied reds, the transition in Navarra's winemaking has been sudden and overwhelming. Garnacha, the workhorse rosé grape now is less than 40% of plantings, compared with 90% in the 1980's. Its place has been taken by the Spanish Tempranillo... Rias Baixas The landscapes of the Rias Baixas wine region in Spain's northwestern Galicia, starkly contrast with the image many have of Spain- dry, hot, with a splash of bullfighting and flamenco. Galicia is Celtic (whose legacy today is evident in the traditional regional instrument... Ribera del Duero Legend has it that the Elephant & Castle district in London got its name from a cockney derivation of 'Infanta de Castilla', the title of Isabella, the Spanish Catholic queen who stayed there during a visit to London in the 15th century... Somontano Located on a high plateau in the mountainous area of Huesca (known for its ski resorts), the wine region of Somontano lies at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains. The name Somontano actually means "Under the Mountain"... Toro Many Spanish wine writers believe that Toro, a relatively little-known denominación de origen (DO), located in Zamora province around the town of Toro, is Spain's most promising wine region. Once known for black, stout, powerful wines that lived up to their name... Mediterranean Spain The Mediterranean coastline in Spain stretches for more than 1600 kilometers, or more than 1,000 miles, from the French border all the way down to the tip of Morocco. Some of Spain´s most sensational wine regions can be found in this area, particularly on the Northern part of the Med near Barcelona, including Penedès (known for its Cava wines as well as dry wines), Priorat (considered by some wine experts to be some of the best red wines in Spain, with Garnacha old vine based wines) and the Empordà (bubbly, white and rosés mainly, made in the Costa Brava). Further south there are a number of interesting up and coming wine appellations in Alicante and Valencia. Barcelona is the main culutural and metropolitan hub and is a great base for visiting many of the wine regions and Girona is also of special interest to foodies as many top Michelin starred restaurants can be found in this area... Emporda Spain´s beautiful Mediterranean wine region of Emporda is an absolute must for the gourmet traveler as apart from small and artisan wine cellars, the region is host to spectacular coastal scenery, luxurious boutique hotels, fabulous gourmet restaurants and lovely villages like Cadaques... Penedes Catalonia's premiere wine region of Penedes (located less than an hour south of Barcelona) produces a range of excellent still wines ranging from delicate whites to beefy reds, as well as the flagship Cava. Traditional Method Cava is made with the indigenous grapes of Xarel.lo and Parellada... Priorat Although little more than 20 km from the Catalan Mediterranean coastal plain, Priorato is remote. Few decent roads penetrate this wildly beautiful region whose steep-sided mountains rise quickly to over 1,100m, and travel between its scattered villages can be laborious... Southern Spain Perhaps the most alluring region in Spain architecturally, Andalucía is also a fabulous destination for wine lovers. The principal wine regions in the south include Sherry (located in the Sherry triangle of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria, which incidentally is also a region known for prizewinning brandies), Montilla Moriles (near Córdoba) and the mountain wines of Málaga. Fortified and dessert wines are made in all of these regions. Then for dry red wine lovers, producers around the enchanting town of Ronda are making increasingly interesting wines. Between Andalucia and Madrid, the vast La Mancha wine region extends from Toledo to Cuenca and is home to some truly exciting wine estates making terrific value dry reds. Sherry Be it fino, amontillado or oloroso, Sherry is a complex, esoteric fortified wine with the versatility to go from apéritif to table wine to after-dinner sipper. One of the attractions of the world's great fortified wines is that each is inextricably tied to a storied, exotic locale..		Connect with Us: [email protected] Spain +34 91 143 6553 USA (310) 496-8061 Customer Testimonial: “I know that Ritz-Carlton knows a lot about luxury experience and exceeding expectations but you and Cellar Tours could teach us a few things.” Peter J. Watzka, Executive VP, Ritz Carlton Popular Wine Tours: Northern Spain Northern Spain wine tour with your own private chauffeured Mercedes taking in visits to quaint towns and villages such as San Sebastian, Biarritz, Burgos, Lerma, Covarrubias, Laguardia. Art, Wine & Design Spain is experiencing an architectural Renaissance in the wine world, and many celebrity architects have flocked to build design wineries and buildings. Catalonia Spain's wonderful Northeastern region of Catalonia is home to some of the best wine regions in the country including the mythical wine country of Priorat and the cava lands of the Penedes. Andalusia Luxurious Mercedes chauffeured wine tour of Southern Spain's Andalusia region that includes wine tasting in the Sherry country, Montilla -Moriles and Ronda. Spanish Wine Odyssey Professional wine tour of Spain's most exclusive wine estates and wine regions. Barcelona Barcelona food and wine tasting tour that includes private chauffeured Mercedes, your own art guide to show you around the best neighborhoods and museums. Ribera del Duero This wine tour of Spain's famous Ribera del Duero wine region is perfect for enthusiasts who want to see where the magic of wine begins La Rioja Luxurious wine tasting break in the beautiful wine region of La Rioja, including an unforgettable gourmet lunch at Etxebarri, VIP winery tours and tastings. San Sebastian This extraordinary luxury trip in San Sebastian includes extra special gastronomic experiences at Michelin star hot spots Mugaritz and Akelarre. Seville Luxurious Mercedes chauffeured short stay in Seville and Jerez de la Frontera for food and wine lovers.